The Burning Rose Bush
by Lavits Dragoon
Summary: Ruby never asked for this kind of life when she was younger, but now it's all she ever wanted. Accepted to Beacon 2 years earlier than expected, she learns of what happened to her mother, as well as what's coming after her next. She needs to be ready. And she will be, with the help from her sister and the headmaster of Beacon Academy. Vampire!Ruby Au. Enabler. Monochrome.
1. I know

The Burning Rose Bush

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. The wonderful people at Rooster Teeth do. As well as the creator of RWBY, Monty Oum. Rest in peace you beautiful man.**

* * *

Chapter 1: I know

The room was brightly lit by fluorescent lighting. The white, spotless walls reflecting the lights to make it all the brighter. The only furnishing in the small room was a small, rectangular table with three chairs next to it. Seated in the two on one side, was a pair of sisters. Ruby and Yang. On the other side was a man with light grey hair and glasses. He had a mug sitting on the table beside him. His fingers were templed, and his head was right above them, looking at Ruby, smiling. The two sisters were wearing a shocked expression on their faces, after something that the man said.

"Wait. What do you mean, 'my sister is accepted?'" The bigger, blonde sister, named Yang Xiao Long asked.

"Yeah? How can I be accepted to your school? I'm not old enough yet." The younger sister, with red and black hair, named Ruby Rose asked.

"I mean exactly what I said. If Miss Rose should accept, she would be welcomed to Beacon Academy to train to become a huntress, among other things." The man they know as Professor Ozpin explains. The way he said 'other things' made Ruby tense up, thinking he may know something this man shouldn't. She puts her hand on her weapon, Crescent Rose, to get ready if she needs to act.

The man sighs, and continues. "I knew your mother, even before you, yourselves knew her. I also know what she was, as well as what Miss Rose is." He finishes, pushing his glasses up his nose. With that admission, Ruby is already up over the table, behind the man, trying to silence him with her giant combat scythe. But before the blade connects, some force stops it before it reaches his throat. Yang also rose up at seeing her sister try to take the man's head.

It seems as if the shadows have come out from him to stop the blade from taking his head. "Miss Rose please…" Ozpin says calmly, like she didn't just try to kill him. "I don't wish you any harm. I am here to honor a promise I made to your mother."

"My mother?" Ruby hesitates, and she puts her weapon down. Seeing no threat in his demeanor as well as seeing that he himself was a vampire, by the use of the shadows. If he does know her mother she may want to hear this. Ruby and Yang retake their seats. "What promise?"

Everyone calms down. The shadows around Ozpin recede and he starts to explain. "Your mother asked me to look after you should something or someone come after you if she wasn't able. And after her passing, I knew someday I would have to keep that promise. And now, I have heard reports of things happening in the underground of Vale. I'm afraid you may be in danger, Ruby. I have reason to believe the same person who took your mother, isn't stopping with her. This person has a grudge against the Rose clan, you see." Ozpin takes a breath. "And I believe they are looking for you. I don't think they know of you yet, but they will eventually. I want you to come to my school so that I can protect and ready you for what you may have to face." He spreads his arms out, gesturing for Ruby to answer his next question. "Would you like to attend Beacon Academy?"

Ruby thinks for a moment, looking down at her hood that flows out of her seat from her back. Her last keep sake of her mother. She then looks to her sister, Yang. Yang smiles at Ruby, and nods her encouragement.

' _If he's right about Ruby being in danger, then I want her to be ready too. And I can protect her if she comes to Beacon with me.'_ Yang thinks, wanting nothing more than to be next to her sister.

Ruby looks back to Ozpin. She gives him a nod. "If Yang can come, then I accept." Ruby smiles.

"Of course. That was the reason you two were officially here for after all. Yang would make an excellent huntress, and I would be honored for her to attend my school as well." Ozpin smiles in turn.

* * *

Now aboard an air ship, on their way to Beacon, the two sisters are enjoying the sights from above the city of Vale. _'The city looks so small from up here.'_ Ruby thinks as she looks out the glass window on the side of the ship. Her sister Yang, comes up behind her and wraps her in a shoulder hug.

"Hey sis! Can you believe we're headed to Beacon together?" Yang says, excited she gets to stay close to her sister.

"Hardly. It's surprising that dad allowed me to come so early. You know how overprotective he is." Ruby sighs. "Well I guess he really trusts Ozpin. Dad seemed to be worried after Ozpin left the house, but he still allowed me to come so, I guess he was Ok with it." Ruby shrugs in Yang's arm hug.

"Yeah, don't worry 'bout it sis. We're here now, no sense thinking about it now." Yang says, trying to keep her sister up in spirits.

"Yeah, you're right." Ruby smiles up at Yang, but she's interrupted by the news being broadcast on the window, holographically. It talks about dust robberies, and people going missing in the down town areas of Vale.

' _Those poor people and their families. I guess this was what Ozpin was talking about. Some underground movement. Human trafficking, maybe?'_ Ruby sighs as the news continues on about the weather. It is then interrupted by a woman they both recognize. She was there at the beginning and end of the interview for Yang. She has platinum blonde hair, glasses, and is holding a riding crop. She looks like she could pass for late twenties in age.

"Greetings, potential students of Beacon Academy. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. And I am the headmistress of this prestigious academy. It is my job to inform you that when you land you will need to make your way to the main building auditorium for Headmaster Ozpin's orientation speech. Your belongings will be shipped to the hall where you will all be sleeping in. After orientation, and the initiation, you will then be moved into your dorm rooms. Thank you all for taking up the mantle of mankind and continuing the tradition of becoming huntsmen and huntresses. And welcome to Beacon Academy." With that said they can look out the window again and see the huge academy approaching as the ship moves closer.

They land and a blonde boy rushes past. Holding his mouth closed and emptying it into a nearby trash can.

"What's his deal? Isn't he supposed to be some kind of big warrior that protects the weak? Seems to me that he's the one that needs protecting." Yang jokes to Ruby, only kidding around.

"Who knows? Maybe he'll surprise us one day? I doubt Ozpin would have granted him a place at Beacon if he couldn't handle himself." Ruby half jokes, half defends. "So…where to first Yang? Do you want to check somewhere out first, or go straight to the auditorium to get better seats?"

"Eh…I don't really care either way. Whatever you want Rubes." Yang shrugs and lets Ruby decide.

"Ok. To the auditorium then!" Ruby pulls Yang with her. They make good time and end up with almost front row spots. No seats though. It seems everyone is meant to stand.

Professor Ozpin is on stage, with Glynda behind him to the side. He walks to the microphone on the stage and clears his throat. "Ahem...If you'll allow me to be brief. I would like to welcome you all to my school, Beacon Academy. For several years, _'more like thousands.'_ I have been training the next generation of huntsman and huntresses to protect our world. I would be lying if I were to say you all didn't have the potential skills it takes to defend the world from the threat of Grimm. But the skills is not all it takes. Tomorrow, you will take part in an initiation. There you will find if you are truly ready to defend the world from all its darkness. Get some rest, you will certainly need it." Ozpin ends his speech and Glynda then comes up and directs everyone to the place where they will be staying the night, and where they can get some food should they need it.

* * *

Ruby and Yang leave the auditorium to find a nice secluded spot. They visit the roof of a building on campus. The dorms roof. Now up there, away from prying eyes, Ruby pushes Yang against the wall next to the door gently.

"Yang…I'm hungry… I need you." Ruby begs, breathing hard, staring into Yang's lilac eyes. Her own eyes turning red, with wanting. Yang audibly gulps, staring into the once silver eyes of her sister.

"I know Ruby. We haven't had any time alone all day. So go ahead." Yang tilts her neck up to give Ruby better access to her throat. "Take all you want." Yang closes her eyes, waiting for Ruby to sink her teeth into her flesh. It doesn't take long. With the literal open invitation, Ruby wraps her arms around Yang's shoulders and pulls her down so she has better reach to her neck. Yang wraps her arms around Ruby's waist and pulls Ruby into her.

Ruby sinks her teeth into Yang's neck and starts to pull out her blood, drinking deeply. Yang's leg grow weak, her neck is a sensitive area for her, and she sinks down. Making sure Ruby stays in her lap as she sits down against the wall. Yang bites back a moan, not wanting Ruby to hear her. _'Ruby…take as much as you want…'_ Moments later Ruby pulls her teeth back and licks up the remaining blood. She licks the holes her canines made and the holes close up. Yang is out of breath by this point and light-headed from blood loss.

Ruby notices. "Yang? Are you alright? I didn't take too much again, did I?" Ruby gets worried.

"N-no…I'm fine sis. I-I just need a moment." Yang takes a deep breath to correct her irregular breathing. "I'm good, see? Now are you ready to go back?" Ruby mumbles something Yang can't hear. "What did you say?"

"I…I said I'm sorry for always asking for your blood." Ruby mumbles quietly, Yang barley picks it up.

"No! Don't worry about it sis! I'm happy to give you my blood. Honest. I'm happy you trust yourself around me so much." Yang says, still not letting go of Ruby in her lap. Her arms still around her waist. _'I love you…'_ Yang gives Ruby a small smile.

"I am too…But I don't want to hurt you." Ruby whimpers out, scared she might go too far one day.

"You won't hurt me, Rubes. I won't let you. I know you would never forgive yourself if you did. I won't let that happen." Yang says, hugging Ruby tightly to her chest.

"T-thank you Yang." Ruby says into her sister's chest.

"Yang blushes at the contact, but still holds tight. "Of course, sis. I want you to know, I promise to always be beside you. I…I want you to know that." Yang almost confesses her true feelings for her sister. _It…it wouldn't be right. I can't be that selfish. She has someone after her and she needs to focus on being ready. Not her hopeless sister who is in love with her. There's no way she feels the same anyways…'_ Yang sighs from her defeated thoughts, and gives Ruby a nudge on the shoulder. "Hey, Ruby? You ready to go back yet?" Ruby doesn't respond and Yang looks down, at an angle, to see her sister's eyes closed and her breathing softly into Yang's chest.

' _Asleep…What a terrifying vampire you are. Out like a light as soon as you get a meal…'_ Yang smiles softly at her adorable sister. _'She's so cute when she's sleeping…'_ Yang pushes a lock of Ruby's hair out of her eyes to get a better look at her. "Time to go back, Ruby. We have a big day tomorrow." Yang speaks to her unconscious sister. _'And I get the feeling, the way Ozpin's speech went, that this initiation is going to be tough.'_ With that, Yang picks Ruby up in her arms and carries her back to their spot in the hall, with all the other potential students.

* * *

 **I have now rewritten this chapter. This is the new version. By my opinion, much better than the old. Thank you to everyone who has given this story their time. I appreciate it! Until next chapter. Peace!**


	2. Meeting new friends

**Ok. Second chapter. I received some pretty positive feedback. So thanks to the people who Favorited and followed. As well as the people who reviewed and told me they liked the story. One told me something that needed to be addressed in the first chapter. I wasn't starting a new paragraph when someone else started talking. I fixed the first chapter now though, and from now on that's how I will do it. It makes the dialogue easier to keep up with, I realize. Anyways on to why you are here. The next chapter. Easily twice as long as the last. So enjoy.**

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Chapter 2: Meeting new friends

Ruby wakes up in Yang's arms. ' _mmmmh_ … _so_ _warm. Leave it to_ _Yang_ _to make_ _a_ _vampire_ _feel_ _warmth_ _again_.' She thinks, as she snuggles further into her sister. After a bit, she hears movement around her. She opens her eyes to see students getting up for the day. Being reminded of where they are, Ruby tries to get up fast, excited for her time at Beacon, but Yang has other plans. While still asleep, Yang doesn't let go of Ruby clutching her to her chest.

"Yang! It's time to get up…" after no response Ruby continues, "We might be late for breakfast Yang." Ruby says, knowing it will get Yang up. However being a member of the undead, Ruby doesn't really get why Yang is always so eager for breakfast. Almost all food just makes her sick. The only thing she can stomach eating is cookies and strawberries.

Yang perks up at hearing breakfast. Still groggy, she asks, "Did dad make sausage _and_ bacon?" Rubbing her eye after letting go of Ruby, she looks around. "Oh, right we're at Beacon. What do you think they serve here? I'm so hungry."

"Careful, you're getting drool everywhere Yang." Ruby jokes, then Yang really does start drooling. "Eww gross Yang! Close your mouth."

Yang shuts her mouth and covers it with her hand, embarrassed. "Sorry sis. Did you sleep well?" They both start to get up and put their bedding away and head to the cafeteria as Ruby and Yang talk.

"Yeah I did. And you?" Ruby answers.

Yang smirks, "Yeah I did too. Sleeping with you is like sleeping with a nice, cold pillow."

Ruby gets embarrassed and punches Yang lightly in the arm. "Not funny Yang."

Yang rubs her shoulder in faux hurt. "Ouch sis, I was serious. I like sleeping with you." Yang stops herself. "I mean… sleeping next to you. You know, just sleeping."

Yang looks away from Ruby to hide her beet red blush. "What else would we have done?" Ruby asks innocently.

"Uhh.. nothing. Oh look the cafeteria!" Yang re-directs as she rushes towards the big double doors. Ruby just dismisses it, with a smile and shake of the head, thinking her sister to be hungry.

* * *

They make their way in the line to get food. Then find a seat away from most of the other students. While Yang eats, Ruby is checking all the students' weapons out. _'Man that one's so cool! Is that a Bo-staff that transforms into a pulse rifle?! How did she get it to maintain its core without exploding during the shift? I've got to ask her one day_.'

Yang breaks Ruby out of her daydreaming. "Hey, sis can I ask you something about what happened at the interview the other day?"

"Um, yeah. Go for it." Ruby nods her permission.

"Well, why did you attack Ozpin the way you did when he said he knew about you? Trying to kill him was a little excessive wasn't it?" Yang asked, a little worried her sister may be building a violent streak.

"I know, it was wrong. Believe me Yang, I don't want to kill anyone, but mom always told me that no one outside the family can know what mom and me are. It could put the entire family in danger if people feared us for what we are. So I acted. It was either him or me, you, and dad. I don't want to kill, but I will if it means protecting you and dad." Ruby looks down. "I don't really want to talk about this anymore." Ruby mumbles at the end.

"Yeah, I get it. You just worried me a bit. But me and dad are plenty tough, we can handle anything that comes at us! You don't have to worry about us." Yang says as she wraps her in a side hug.

"Right, Yang." Ruby mumbles, unconvinced.

Yang notices, and smiles sadly at Ruby. ' _I'll be damned if anything happens to this family._ ' Yang thinks, before she puts on a confident smirk. "Me and dad aren't going anywhere Rubes. You can count on that."

"Yeah, you're right. I should start thinking about the initiation anyways. What do you think it's going to be?" Ruby smiles a bit at Yang's determination.

"I don't know. Probably loads of Grimm clearing. They have to see if we're up to snuff, right?" Yang inputs.

"I guess we'll see soon enough. It's almost time." Ruby says at they get up.

* * *

After breakfast, they are told to head to the locker rooms to prepare for the initiation. When they get there they both start loading up their gear. They haven't heard about what they will face so they stock up on ammo as much as they can. Next to them they hear some students conversing.

"Hey there snow angel. Come here often?" A blonde boy says to a white haired girl.

She gives him an 'are you serious' face, "No, I'm new here same as everyone else in this room, but nice try though, very smooth line. Never heard of that one before." The girl says sarcastically.

"Well, maybe we could take a tour together? See the sights?" He says trying to salvage what he can.

"So is that why you're here? To see the sights? Because I'm here to prove myself and become a huntress. I don't have time to go waste on the likes of you."

At this, Yang steps in, "Easy there, all you have to say is no. You don't have to cut him down like that." Yang's a little annoyed that someone can be so stand-offish.

"I fail to see how this is any of your business!" The white haired girl yells.

"Everyone just calm down. Look, uhm…?" Ruby starts.

"Weiss, it is Weiss Schnee." Weiss half bites at Ruby.

"Right, well Weiss, why don't we all start over. My name is Ruby Rose. And this here is my sister Yang Xiao Long." Ruby says as she puts her hand on Yang's shoulder. "What's your name?" She asks, gesturing to the blonde boy.

"It's Jaune. And thanks for this." He scuffs his shoe against the ground and rubs the back of his head looking down.

Ruby continues. "No problem, look why don't we all just start over and try to be friends." Ruby finishes, smiling at Weiss.

"Are you kidding? Just do me a favor and buzz off!" Weiss slams her locker closed and storms off.

"Geeze, she's lovely to be around." Yang says after she's gone. "Don't waste your time with her sis, she's clearly a lost cause." Ruby wants to interject what Yang said, but before she can Jaune starts talking first.

"Hey, I wanted to thank you again, you didn't have to do that and I appreciate it." Jaune smiles slightly to Ruby.

Ruby returns the smile. "No problem, Jaune. What are friends for? Oh hey, I think I remember you. Weren't you the one who vomited after the plane ride here?" Ruby asks.

Jaune scratches the back of his head sheepishly. "Ugh… yeah that was me. I don't do so well with flying." His shoulders slouch in embarrassment at being seen.

"Eh, we all have our quirks. Don't we? It's no big deal. We should get going. Catch ya later Jaune." Yang says patting him on the back before Ruby also waves farewell.

"Well he seemed pretty nice." Ruby says to Yang as they walk away.

"Yeah, but he was a bit scrawny. You could do better sis." Yang snickers at Ruby's face.

"Yaaaang! You're unbelievable!" Ruby screams.

"Unbelievably gorgeous, you mean." Yang laughs at Ruby's outburst.

Ruby huffs. "Whatever. Let's get to the initiation site."

Yang puts her arm around Ruby while they walk. "Right behind ya sis." They continue on, out of the locker room towards the meet-up.

* * *

After a while of waiting for everyone to arrive. Ozpin starts talking about the purpose of this test. "You all will be tested to see your limits. In these woods lay the creatures of Grimm. And I assure you there are plenty for all of you. What you will be doing is not a simple search and destroy though. You will find some old ruins in these woods if you travel far enough. Within these ruins hold relics that you will have to bring back. Along the way you will meet other students. You will be finding your partner here as well. The first person you make eye contact with after you land will be your partner for the next 4 years of your time here at Beacon. When you get your partner and the relic bring it back here before the setting of the sun. Anyone who fails to bring back a relic for each pair of partners before the sun sets will not be attending Beacon. For your safety, we will be monitoring cameras that are hidden within the woods to monitor your progress, as well as make sure that we can appropriately respond to someone's injury. And make no mistake there will be injury. We have added a few different types of Grimm from other regions of Remnant to help better prepare you for any situation. Now, you will be launched into the forest via these platforms." He motions to the plates at the edge of the cliff. "You will be expected to come up with your own landing strategy. I wish you the best in this trial."

"Um… excuse me. What do you mean when you say landing strategy? Is there a parachute we were supposed to pack or something?" Jaune asks confused.

"No, there is no parachute." Ozpin smiles behind his mug. ' _This should be good.'_ Right before Jaune can ask another question. He is launched first, screaming.

The rest of the students follow although, without the screaming. Yang gives Ruby a wink before putting on her shades. Then is launched off. Ruby follows, pulling her hood tighter over her head making sure it stays on. ' _The sun is so annoying. It could be worse though. It could turn me to ash like so many think. Dummies.'_ She thinks before she is also launched.

* * *

When Yang lands her first thought is to find Ruby. ' _Who else better to be partners with than my baby sis?_ ' She starts jogging, remembering that this is timed. She bulldozes through some brush to reach a clearing. With nothing around the clearing, she continues on. Only to be stopped by an Ursa Major. Its giant claw comes down towards her head. Thinking fast, Yang shoots her gauntlets forward to push her back out of the way. Yang cocks Ember Celica, "You're pretty big arent'cha? But I've seen bigger." Yang smirks, then the smirk drops from her face when she sees a strand of her hair float down from where she once was. With her occupied with her missing hair, the Ursa capitalizes by swinging again. It catches her in the face, at the same time her eyes turn red and her hair ignites. "Oh, you are going to pay for that you bastard!" She grabs his arm on its back swing and pulls it off. While the Ursa is grunting in pain and flailing wildly with its remaining arm, Yang jumps on it to start punching it in the face repeatedly. "How… dare…you…touch …my…HAIR!" Delivering a shotgun blast to its grimm mask with every word. And on the final one she reduces its head to nothing, above a smoking crater. Panting lightly, Yang's eyes and hair revert back to normal as she catches her breath. "You don't get to touch the goods." Yang softly laughs, then picks up her jog again.

After a while, she starts hearing familiar gun fire coming from up ahead. "That's Ruby's sniper!" As she gets closer, just as she's about to get through the clearing, an ice spear passes right by her head and buries itself in a tree next to her. She pushes past the last bush and sees Ruby killing the last creep. "Ruby!" Yang yells.

"Yaaaang!" Ruby dives into Yang's arms and she spins them around in a circle.

"Ahem…" Someone clears their throat. "Oh great, _both_ of you are here now."

Yang puts Ruby down and looks towards the voice. She sees the white haired girl from earlier. "Oh man, not you again! Please don't tell me she's your partner, Rubes?"

"Yeah, sorry Yang. I ran into her earlier. She's actually a pretty good fighter though, she's a dust mage!" Ruby says happy to be near her sister again.

"Yes well, your little sister may be capable as well. As long as she stays out of my way we won't have a problem." Weiss says to Yang as she turns around and starts heading off to find the ruins.

"Come along Ruby I won't wait for you. I am not failing because you can't keep up!" Weiss yells to Ruby as she turns her head over her shoulder while she continues on towards the treeline.

Ruby zooms in front of Weiss with her semblance. "That won't ever be a problem." Ruby says laughing.

"Wha…how did you…?" Weiss is looking from Ruby to where she once was standing, clueless as to how she made it to her so fast.

"My semblance is speed!" Ruby yells cheerfully.

"Oh well that's just too _perfect_. The hyper girl is also super fast." Weiss says as she thinks this can't get any worse.

"Please tell me you already have a partner. I really don't want to spend my next 4 years with a Schnee." A disembodied voice says around them. It sounds feminine.

"Who is that!? Show yourself!" Weiss screams while looking for the source of the voice.

"Right here." The voice says as a rustling starts at a pair of bushes behind them. They turn to see a black haired young woman with a bow on her head step out.

"What do you have against Schnees?" Weiss asks the new person, no longer afraid of the potential threat, but still keeps Myrtenaster at the ready.

"Besides the racism and dirty business dealings? Not much." The new girl answers with a small smile.

"How dare you?! You don't...that's not…ugghhh! Weiss stomps her foot as she lets out a groan of annoyance, "I don't have to take this. Come along Ruby or I'm leaving you behind!" Weiss shrieks, rushing off into the woods, not caring if Ruby follows.

"Hold on Weiss!" Ruby shouts to Weiss trying to get her to stop. She then turns to the new person.

"I'm sorry for her. She's not a very, people kind of person. I don't believe we've met. My name is Ruby Rose. What's yours?" Ruby says to the new girl.

"Um…It's Blake." Blake looks towards Weiss' back as she disappears into the brush. "You might want to go stop her. This place is pretty dangerous. She's a Schnee, but that doesn't mean I want her dead."

"Oh! Right, thanks Blake! It was nice meeting you." Ruby says chasing after Weiss.

"Heh…what am I going to do about her? She's such a handful." Yang says, muttering to herself as she moves up next to Blake. "The names Yang. That little one is my sister. I guess this makes us partners." She sticks out her hand to offer a shake.

"I guess it does. I'm really glad I'm not in your sisters shoes right now." Blake says taking the offered hand.

"Oh you have no idea!" Yang says laughing about how right Blake is. Blake just ignores it thinking she means being partnered with Weiss. They continue on Yang leading Blake as they go to catch up to the white and red pair.

* * *

After another hour and a half of jogging through the forest. They all make it to the ruins to find several pedestals with giant chess pieces on them. Some pedestals were missing their pieces. And they were all on a type of old dais, with ancient and worn columns forming a semi-circle around it.

"So I guess we weren't the first ones here?" Blake says as Yang walks up to one of the pieces, noticing the missing ones.

"Oh well, it's not like we're being graded on who gets here first. Just as long as we make the deadline, right?" Yang says as she picks up the Knight piece. "How 'bout this one? It's a cute little horsey!" She waves it towards Blake.

"Fine, that will do." Blake says, as she smiles a little at Yang's energy. "What are you picking?" Blake asks, referring to Ruby and Weiss.

"I don't think it matters too much, so you can pick Weiss." Ruby says to her white haired partner.

"Well, seeing as the King and Queen pieces are either picked already or were never here. The next best piece would be the Knight. It is a personal favorite of mine." Weiss says as she picks up the Knight piece.

"Copycat." Yang teases Weiss just trying to get under her skin.

"Whatever, we should head back before we run out of time. And stop following us! We aren't partners. Find your own path and stop bugging me." Weiss huffs and starts marching off.

"Hey! I go where my sister goes. You're just going to have to deal with it for now, Ice Queen!" Yang yells back. "Come on let's go. She is right. We don't have all day… actually we do!" Yang laughs at her own joke. But the groans from the others washes it away. "Yeah ok. It wasn't very good."

They run to catch up to the annoyed heiress. When they do, they see she stops. They soon follow. "What? What is it Weiss?" Asks Ruby, thinking maybe she's still mad.

"I hear gun fire. Coming from the south east, I think. I think I hear a grenade launcher as well. We might as well see if they need help. It's along the way to the cliff." Weiss answers.

"Yeah, I hear it too. A rifle and 2 SMGs firing in tandem I think." Blake affirms.

"Wow you can tell that from here? Your hearing is amazing!" Yang praises her partner.

"T-thanks." Blake replies, a little blush dusting her cheeks as she looks towards the noise and away from her partner.

"I hear it too. Let's go!" Ruby bolts off to help as fast as possible.

"Wait Ruby! You might need back-up!" Yang tries to get out before Ruby is too far gone.

"Uggh… let's hurry." Yang says to the others. They all run off towards the sound of combat. Not knowing what awaits them.

 **Oh! Cliffhanger! Sorry but that was a prime place to stop. And next chapter is going to be good! It's also going to be the last chapter of the initiation. I know It's been done so many times, but I promise mine will be different. Don't let this chapter fool you, it's going to get a bit rough from here on out! Oh, almost forgot about the weapon I mentioned Ruby was fawning over. That isn't a one shot deal. They will return eventually. An OC of mine. Peace everyone!**


	3. You promised me

**Next chapter! And this one is so much longer than the others. A little over 7k words, compared to the last one of 3k. This will probably be my favorite chapter for a long time with this story. No reason! Honest. I want to thank everyone for their support of this story. The faves the follows and definitely the reviews. Those have helped a bunch! The progress I have made from chapter one to this chapter in terms of writing skill has been amazing thanks to the input you all have made. We hit over 1000 views! And 50 follows! This is incredible for not even being out for a week. Thanks again!**

* * *

Chapter 3: You promised me.

Sprinting as fast as she can using her semblance. Ruby makes it in record speed, only to arrive there to see Jaune, her recently made friend, get bit in the back of the leg by a creature her mom used to mention. Jaune falls on his face, screaming in pain. He lays on his stomach to not put pressure on the wound. Also because even the slightest shift of his left leg felt like someone stabbed him with several hot iron pokers. This is a Grimm native to Managerie. ' _This must be one of the species of Grimm Oz talked about releasing into the forest_.' Ruby thought, her blood would be boiling right now if she wasn't a vampire. _'How could he release something like this into the woods along with would-be hunters?'_ Ruby thinks, infuriated. It's a bi-pedal predator, with a tail almost as long as its body. The Velox-Mortem. This beast, with its hunched over form, hisses at the long, red-headed amazon warrior that falls back to get between it and its prey. It snorts out of its Grimm mask and its sharp red eyes lock onto the amazon, seemingly evaluating her threat level, instead of outright attacking right away like normal. As her fingers clench around Crescent Rose, Ruby loses it. She charges towards the Raptor Grimm, giving it no time to react or hurt anyone else. She lops its head clean off its body. She immediately starts scanning the area for more. ' _They always hunt in packs_.' Ruby, echoing her mother's words in her mind. ' _And that certainly wasn't the alpha. He's watching from somewhere.'_

"Jaune! Are you alright? Can you stand?" Says the amazon, worry etched on her face. **'** _ **She should be worried.'**_

"Agggghhhh!" Screams Jaune, when he tries to move his leg.

Ruby takes in everything around her. She sees Jaune on the ground, clutching his chewed on leg. The amazon next to him kneeling beside him. Two others still checking the tree line around them, guns raised, panting a bit. They probably have been fighting off this pack for a while now. They know there is more. One student to be, is a young man with long black hair with a streak of pink in the front. He's wearing a green suit, and fights with two auto pistols with blades at the front. The other student is a girl with orange hair. She is dressed in primarily white, with a pink skirt. Fighting with that grenade launcher Weiss heard earlier. _'It's clear this group doesn't know how to fight this type of Grimm. Hell even if they did they would still be in trouble.'_ Ruby thinks. She turns back to Jaune and the amazon.

"Hey, Jaune I know it hurts, but we have to move you somewhere we can easily defend you. Out here in this clearing is a deathtrap. Too many places to be attacked by at once." Ruby urges, not wanting to hurt her friend any, but knowing what's best for everyone.

"I take it you know of these things? I'm Pyrrha, by the way. Thanks for your help a second ago. These monsters have been on our tails for about forty minutes now." The red-head, now known as Pyrrha, says.

Yang, Blake, and Weiss show up by this point, but before they see Jaune on the ground bleeding, Yang says to Ruby, "Ruby slow down! I think I saw some Grimm movement in the brush just a second ago, like thirty feet awa-Oh shit! What happened!?" Yang rushes to her sister's side. Blake and Weiss move closer while covering their mouths in horror of all the blood.

At more people showing up to help, the black haired man and the orange haired woman rush over now so they can check on their friend. "If you can guard the perimeter, I have a first aid kit on me. It's not enough for a full patch job, but I can get him in shape enough to move him." The black haired young man says, kneeling down on the other side of Jaune from Pyrrha. "My name is Ren and that is Nora, the one with the grenade launcher." Ren starts to work on Jaune's leg by pulling out his first aid kit and taking out a small, one use plunger. Morphine. He jabs it into Jaune's leg, in the upper side of his thigh.

"Aghhh… oh. That's not that bad… I feel…floaty." Jaune says, feeling the effects of the morphine work fast like it's supposed to.

Ruby, Yang, Blake, and Weiss all introduce themselves while Ren gets a look at the bite. He just nods his head to them, trying to concentrate on saving Jaune's leg. The teeth tore through flesh and tendon, even breaking into the bone. If he doesn't stop the bleeding fast, he'll have maybe thirty more minutes to live before he bleeds out. Ren gets out some gauze to wrap around his leg to try and stop the bleeding after quickly disinfecting the wound with rubbing alcohol. Jaune didn't feel much of anything at this point. Thankfully, because that alcohol probably would have made the poor boy pass out.

Ruby explains to the others, what they missed while they keep watch on the tree line all around them. Occasionally seeing movement of a long black tail, or sharp red eyes before they vanish as if they weren't there. But Ruby knew they were. At least five of them, maybe more. She still hadn't seen the alpha yet. "We need to move! They're getting ready to attack. How much longer Ren?" She asks.

"I'm almost done! And…there. Pyrrha do you want me to carry him, or do you have it?" Ren asks, after making sure the gauze is extra secure. Not that it matters considering it's already soaked with blood. _'It will have to do though. We ran out of time.'_ Ren thinks, sadly to himself.

"Please, let me. He's my partner." Pyrrha says as she squats down beside Jaune to pick him up bridal style. She wraps her left arm underneath his legs, trying her best not to mess with the wrapping that's pressed into her stomach when she picks him up. She wraps her other arm around his back and he puts his left arm around her shoulder to hold on. "I have you, Jaune. Don't worry you'll make it." She says trying to instill him and herself with as much confidence as possible.

"Hey… Pyrrha…" Jaune says, barely above a whisper.

' _Oh no. He must be growing weak from blood loss.'_ Pyrrha thinks. "Yes, Jaune?" Giving him a worried look, Pyrrha asks Jaune.

"How did I get so much shorter than you? You're like a full head taller than me now. Crazy." Jaune asks, amazed that she grew so much in such a short amount of time. That morphine is something else.

"Oh Jaune… I'm not taller. I'm carrying you. Haven't you noticed you're not on your feet anymore?" Pyrrha tells him. _'Well, as long as he's no longer in pain.'_ She says in her head, thankful for at least that.

"Ohhhh… Where are we going?" Jaune asks, completely oblivious to the danger around him. Not hearing the gunshots going off from his friends still trying to keep the Grimm back while they make a run for a defendable location.

"Some place safe. We have to get you to safety. Where we won't have to worry about you while we finish off the Grimm." Pyrrha is getting a little annoyed and slightly amused by drugged up Jaune now.

"Ok. You're a good friend Pyrrha." Jaune says, while patting her on the cheek. He looks around after she doesn't say anything more. _'Wow… we're going so fast!'_ He thinks, as all the trees and rocks rush by him.

* * *

Ruby kept leading them on. Killing the occasional Beowolf or Ursa that got in the way of the group. Next in line was Weiss, then Yang and Nora to the sides. Forming an upside down T. After Weiss was Pyrrha carrying Jaune. Blake and Ren in the back laying down suppressive fire on the woods behind them. _'They're fast! They're trying to get in front of us. To cut us off. They know what we're trying to do.'_ Ruby thinks. "We need to find a place fast!" Ruby shouts over the gun fire.

"Over there!" Weiss shouts, while pointing to a clearing and a cliff.

"That will have to do! We can't wait any longer!" Ruby says to everyone.

They burst out of the trees to the wide open clearing that ends with a cliff. _'This isn't too bad. They can't flank form behind now. The only problem is we can't retreat if we need to.'_ Ruby thinks.

They all turn around to watch the forest, while Pyrrha puts Jaune down. Nothing. Absolutely no noise or movement like before. _'It's like they gave up. No, they wouldn't. But why would they stop when they have…us…cornered…'_ "Oh no…" Ruby mutters out.

"What? What is it sis?" Yang asks, looking back to her sister from Jaune.

"They know." Ruby mutters again.

"They know what exactly? They're just Grimm, right? They can't be very smart. They probably just ran when we found a place they couldn't take us." Nora interjects. Clueless of just how clever this alpha is.

"They know that we can't wait here. They know that Jaune will die if we don't get him out soon. So they're waiting for us to come for them. On their turf. They know we won't forsake another human's life. So all they have to do is wait for us to lose patience." Ruby says, very worried about their odds now that she knows this alpha isn't playing around.

"Are you serious? How can a group of Grimm be that smart?" Pyrrha asks, terrified for Jaune's chances.

"It's not a group. The Velox-Mortems always hunt in packs led by an alpha. He's the one we should be worried about." Blake says, as she stand up from checking on Jaune.

"How do you two know about these things?" Asks Ren, at least thankful someone else knows what's going on.

"I heard about them from my mom. She was a huntress. She had to hunt a pack that took out a village one time in Managerie. That's where they originate." Ruby answers.

"I spent some time in Managerie. My parents were travelers. So we often visited far off lands. We heard stories of how they are the most cunning Grimm to ever exist." Blake half-lies.

"Look, who cares where they heard about them. We need to do something fast, before we run out of time and he runs out of blood." Weiss says, always the straight thinker.

"You're right, Weiss. And I have a plan." Ruby says as she looks to Yang with a sad smile.

"N-no! Ruby! You can't be serious!" Yang yells as she catches on to that look.

"What? What's she thinking?" Weiss asks, not understanding the apparent telepathy the sister's share.

"She's going to fight them off alone!" Yang yells, while running over to Ruby to try to stop her.

"No! Not alone. But we have to do something and I know that I could take the alpha alone. Nora, Ren, and Weiss could help me deal with the others that stay to help the alpha. When we leave they will undoubtedly attack the 'stragglers'. It's how they think. They act as pillagers. When the fort is weakened the bandits strike. Yang, Blake, and Pyrrha. You three will stay behind to watch Jaune and each-other." Ruby says, hoping Yang will just go along with it.

"No! I'm not leaving you alone to deal with that monster! If he is as smart as you say. How do you know he won't see this coming and just have every one of them wait to ambush you?" Yang asks, afraid for her sister's life.

"They won't. She's right. The betas will not pass up 'easy prey' for long. They are still Grimm after all." Blake interjects.

"Exactly. Look Yang, I'm scared for your safety too. But this is the best plan. Pyrrha's staying, because she's Jaune's partner and she has a shield for defense. I doubt she wants to leave his side anyways. Yang I'm trusting you to keep those three safe. You know I can handle myself. But you need to watch after them. Please Yang." Yang nods slowly and jerkily, after hesitating a bit. "And Blake? Please watch after my sister. Make sure she doesn't do anything crazy, Ok? I'm trusting you as her partner."

Blake nods. "I will. Just make sure to look after yourself. You're pretty grown up for your age." She smirks at Ruby a little.

"I will. I'm not planning on dying after just getting to Beacon." Ruby smirks back.

"You are the most reckless person I have ever met…But you are also right that this is the best course of action that I see, anyways. It's a good plan. Maybe you will make a decent partner for me after all." Weiss says as her lips tug up a bit, almost a smile.

"Thanks, Weiss. Nora, Ren. Let's go. And stick together. They are going to try and separate you to make it easy for the alpha to pick you off. And that's exactly how I'm going to get him alone." Ruby says to them all.

"Please, be careful Ruby." Yang says, almost in tears.

"I will. Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it sis." Ruby gives her sister a bright smile to try and cheer her up. Yang tries to return it, but it only ends up looking sad. Ruby hugs Yang as hard as she can. "I'll be fine. I promise." She mumbles into Yang's chest. "You promised me last night that you would always be there for me. So now I'm promising you. I'll come back."

"Oh…you heard that, did you?" Yang says, as she blushes at Ruby hearing her confession to never leave Ruby's side.

"Yeah. It was the last thing I heard before I fell asleep. I'm coming back Yang. I can win." Ruby says as she looks into Yang's eyes.

"I know you will. You promised." Yang says, as she stares back into hers. _'I want to kiss her so bad! her lips look so soft and inviting. But there are so many people around. And what happened to thinking it will never work? It's not worth the risk. But what if she doesn't make it? I'll never get the chance again!'_ Yang is pulled from her thoughts as the silver eyes of Ruby pull away. Ruby turns around and they walk off into the forest. _'There it goes. My last chance. No! I can't think like that! She will come back to me! I hope…'_ Yang stands there, while she watches Ruby's form disappear into the foliage.

* * *

Four forms break past trees. Moving in a blur. The lead one is a shimmer of red. The form comes to an abrupt stop. Ruby looks around, listening for alien movement. She puts up her fist, raising it back to signal to the rest to stop. She catches movement to her right. She signals in that direction for them to continue. _'We have to hit them first to even the odds. Make them desperate. Force them to either retreat or push forward and make a mistake.'_ Ruby strategizes. She starts hearing a clacking, almost a bark. _'They're_ _communicating.'_ Immediately, one dashes around them. Trying to flank and spook the group. It works on Weiss. She steps backwards and trips on a root. The next Grimm is on her in a second. Grabbing the back of her neck with its powerful jaws and snaps her vertebrae like a twig. Or it would have, if Ruby hadn't lopped off the top half of its jaw. Claiming its life. "Weiss! Are you Ok? You need to get up. We can't break formation just yet." Ruby says as she helps her up.

"I'm Ok. Thank you, Ruby." Weiss thanks, too startled that her life was so close to an end to notice she just thanked someone. A rarity for Weiss. She hasn't thanked someone in a long time.

"No problem. Keep alert, everyone. This won't be their last attempt before they split off after the smaller group." Ruby says, as they all form a tight circle, facing outwards to cover all angles.

She starts hearing that barking again. From the right. Then a response from behind her and in front of Ren, in the same noise. Some movement, then nothing. _'What are they up to? They might be trying to bait us out.'_ They all relax slightly at no movement for a full minute, except Ruby. Still thinking on what they are doing.

"Ruby? What's going on? Why did they stop?" Asks Nora, agitated that she didn't get to kill anything.

"I have a feeling that they are trying to bait us out. But if I'm wrong, and they really did go after the other group. Then they're in trouble. It would be four against three, and someone has to protect Jaune." Ruby says, thinking of if she should call the bluff or not. _'Yang's there. Can I really risk her life with a 60-40 chance that it's a bluff?'_

"Well? What do we do? If they are going after them then we need to go, right? We can't let them take that risk for us." Ren says, not wanting another death on his hands.

"You're right, Ren. You guys go. This was the plan anyways. For me to take the alpha on my own. You guys go back. But be careful. It still might be a trap." Ruby says, over her shoulder as she looks in the direction opposite of where they left their friends.

"Are you sure you can take the alpha, Ruby? After that display you two put on before we entered the woods, I'm pretty sure Yang would snap my neck for leaving you to die." Weiss, trying to say she wants to help.

"I am. Go, guys. They need more help than me. I can handle him." Ruby assures. Really feeling more worried about Yang. _'I really hope that this bad feeling is for me and not her. Please be Ok, Yang.'_ Ruby thinks, before they nod and take off back the way they came.

After they leave. Ruby just stands there listening. "Alright you clever bastard. Come and get me!" She yells out to the forest. Silence…more silence…then, from behind her. He leaps out for the back of her throat. Jaw, open wider than necessary for her small neck. Just as he clamps down on her neck, all he tastes is roses, as Ruby reappears next to him. She swings Crescent Rose, going for an upward diagonal slice to cleave his head off. His tail catches her right leg and pulls her off her feet. She falls on her back, still clutching her scythe. Good thing too, because he was on her in a heartbeat. She raises the handle of her beloved weapon with both hands to stop his jaws from ripping out her throat. He bites down on Crescent Rose. His teeth actually denting the reinforced metal. She kicks him off her body, using her vampiric strength. She gets up, only for him to be there. Slashing at her with his blade like bone spikes on his arms. Now that she can get a good look at him. He's easily twice as large as the others she has killed. He has bone spikes, like needles, going from the back of his head to the beginning of his tail along his spine. His Grimm mask is almost ornate in design. More detailed and menacing looking than the other Velox-Mortems. It is sharp at the nose and lower jaw. Like a straight beak. And the worst of all. His arms. His claws are bad enough, but he also has several bone spikes going down his arms to form the bones of a small wingspan. Sharper than a razors edge. If she didn't know any better, she would think he was avian like a bird. _'Maybe he is?'_ She thinks, as she pushes his arms away from herself. He falls back a bit, and she smashes down her scythe to deploy her sniper rifle. She takes shots at him but he's too fast. Moving around, then he slips away back into the woods to ambush her again, no doubt. Just as she realizes that, he's behind her again.

It was too late. She already felt his hot breath, rank with human flesh and blood, on the back of her neck. She waited, clenching up for the inevitable end. Only for it not to come. She realizes she had closed her eyes at the time. Opening them and turning around. She sees him snapping at her face trying to get her, but he's stuck on something. She looks away from his jaws, which almost ended her life, and sees shadows coalescing around his form. Like ropes, they bound his body allowing no further movement. With no hesitation, she cleaved off his head, before he broke free, not waiting to see if he could overpower this force. She watches the shadow like ropes, recede downwards. She watches their movement amazed. _'Was Ozpin here? Maybe he noticed us in trouble and he-?!'_ Being broken out of her thoughts by where the shadows ended up coming from. Her own shadow… "It was me?! But I've never been able to draw them out before! What happened!? Maybe…due to my life being in danger I drew them out on instinct? This is amazing! I finally did it! I have to tel- Yang! I forgot. I'm coming Yang!" She shouts and takes off as fast as she can, remembering that she wasn't the only one in danger.

* * *

When Ruby and the rest rushed off into the forest. Yang was so conflicted. She just wanted to run after her baby sister. To protect her. To hold her. _'No! Stop thinking that! She's risking her life to take on the alpha by herself so that we have a chance to deal with the rest as a group. And all I keep thinking about is embracing her! She promised to come back! Get your head together, Xiao Long!'_ She shakes her head furiously to dislodge the inappropriate thoughts.

"Yang? Are you Ok?" Blake, behind Yang, asks. Seeing that she's still worried for her sister. She puts her hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her.

Yang suddenly turns around and hugs Blake almost as hard as she can. She pulls her strength back a little, knowing she could actually hurt Blake if she hugged with full strength.

Blake is astonished, to say the least, She's not good with physical affection. Not after what happened with **him**. Still though, Yang was surprisingly warm. Damn her cat like tendencies, wanting to curl up into Yang. She hugs back, but only softly. A little embarrassed, at the public display of affection.

"No…I'm not. She's my little sister. And I promised our mom that I would look out for her. Now she's risking her life for us. And I can't do anything about it!" Yang slightly whimpers, starting to cry into Blake's shoulder.

"She promised Yang. You're just going to have to trust her that she makes it back Ok." Blake whispers into Yang's ear. Rubbing small circles, hesitantly, into her back with her hands now.

"Your sister seems to be an exceptional fighter. I have no doubt that she can win. She knew exactly what the alpha was thinking the entire time. Your sister will be fine, Yang." Pyrrha says, still kneeling down next to Jaune, watching over him. "We should be thinking of what we are going to do if they don't take the…bait." Pyrrha finishes, as four Velox-Mortems come out of the forest to surround them at the cliff. "Oh no…this seems bad. They didn't take the bait. They just separated us to make it easier. Divide and conquer." Pyrrha speaks, as she stands up and gets out her sword and shield, Milo and Akuo.

Yang turns around seeing the Grimm. She wipes her face, then clenches her fists. "Perfect. Something to get my mind off things." She says, as she charges to the nearest one. Her eyes still not red. Taken over by sadness instead of anger.

"Yang! Wait! We should-!" Blake tries to get out before being interrupted by a Grimm. She pulls out Gamble Shroud just in time to block the razor sharp teeth with the sheath-cleaver of her weapon. She cuts off its left arm with her katana. And it falls back a bit. Yang gets pushed back by two Grimm at once. And she falls back next to Blake as the damaged Grimm goes for the easy prey. Pyrrha sees it out of the corner of her eye, as she deals with one already. She pushes back the first, then throws her shield at the new one. It hits it in the face and it staggers giving her time to protect Jaune better. Jaune is passed out at this point, trying to rest. Pyrrha uses her semblance to pull her shield back to her empty arm.

Two fighting Pyrrha, one injured, one not. And two fighting Blake and Yang. The pair trying to get at the fresh meat on the ground, circle around Pyrrha. She keeps her form over Jaune, raising her shield and sword, now in spear form, out. One pointing at each Grimm to keep them back. They charge in at the same time one leaps at Pyrrha, the other goes low. Pyrrha raises her shield for the high one and skewers the other, already hurt one, in the throat. Killing it. She falls over though, when the other Grimm puts all its weight on her shield, making her collapse. Her spear slips from her grasp as she falls down on her back. Milo stays in the Grimm while it starts to dissipate into ash stuck into the ground as well. The alive Grimm is now snapping at the downed prey behind the shield, as she holds it at bay. Then the pressure releases as the Grimm gets off to go after the easier, non-resistant prey. As it turns its back to Pyrrha she uses her polarity semblance to grab Milo and impales the raptor in its side, stabbing all the way through. It lets out a squawk before it falls over dead. Catching her breath, Pyrrha roles over to see how the other two are faring. In no shape right now to help. That Grimm weighed about 500 pounds. And it was crushing her.

Back to back. Yang and Blake watched as the two Raptor Grimm circled them like vultures. One lunges at Yang just to nip at her, to test her speed. She goes in for a punch, but it backs out of the way completely unharmed. It squawks at her, either taunting her or communicating to the other beast. Maybe both. Yang goes in for another punch stepping forward into it this time, making sure if she hits. It will go out like a light. That was her mistake. While she steps forward, the other Grimm comes from behind her. The only warning being Blake, calling her name in panic. The raptor behind her bites down on her left shoulder. She shrieks in agony, but throws it off her. It rends her already deep wound in her shoulder when the teeth scrape off and come loose. But she doesn't care, because she sees the other raptor going for Blake. Blake tries shooting at the charging Grimm, but her pistol jams. Horror takes hold on Blake as she sees the Grimm still coming. Out of nowhere, from Blake's point of view, Yang shoves the raptor of the cliff beside them. Yang gives a tired smile to Blake. Trying to calm her down. But then, the tail of the fallen raptor wraps around Yang's leg and pulls her to the cliff edge. She goes over and catches onto the lip. Blake reaches down trying to help pull her up, but Yang's eyes widen. As she looks behind Blake to see the other raptor coming towards her.

"Blake look out!" Yang yells, warning her partner. As her hold with her right hand starts slipping from the intense weight, and her fatigue from the blood loss. She can't lift her other arm. It must have severed a tendon when it ripped through her shoulder.

Blake looks behind her readying Gambol Shroud just in time to stab into the maw of the approaching raptor. This is the last thing Yang sees as she loses her grip on the edge of the cliff. She and the raptor plummet to the bottom of the ravine.

When Blake looks back to help Yang after dealing with the last Grimm, she doesn't see her hand anymore. "No! Yang!" She runs to the edge of the cliff to look down. Trying to spot her partner. Nothing but sharp rocks and a fast current of water below. She makes out some black ash dispersing into the air at the bottom. At least the Grimm didn't make it. That was at least a 150 foot drop. She doesn't want to think it, but even if Yang did make it. What would become of her?

* * *

Nora, Ren, and Weiss come into the clearing. They see Pyrrha panting from exhaustion, but other than maybe some bruised ribs, she was fine as she stared, wide-eyed toward the cliff and Blake. Blake was on her knees at the edge looking down it. "What happened? Blake? Where's Yang?" Weiss asks, slowly putting the pieces together. Blake looks back at her. Tears in her eyes, clutching herself while she sobs.

"She…she fell. Off the cliff. There wasn't anything I could do! She saved me and then…" Blake starts balling, punching the ground as she cries for the one that saved her life.

"No…that's horrible. She deserved better than that." Weiss says, sincerity in her narrowed eyes, not knowing how to cheer someone up. Everyone starts walking closer to the cliff, shedding a few tears for the friend they had just made. For the sister in arms that died protecting her partner.

"Is everyone alright!?"

Everyone freezes on the spot. They know that voice. How are they supposed to tell **her**? Tell her that her sister just died and she wasn't around to save her, because of her plan. They don't know Ruby well enough yet, but if they did, they would know that she always finds a way to blame herself for what went wrong. She's an optimist, but she's also one that handles failure very poorly. Always thinking there was something she could have done different.

"Ruby…I'm sor…sorry…" Blake squeaks out, still crying.

"What happened? And where's Yang? Blake?" Ruby says, in denial of that her worst fears might come true.

"Sh…she saw the raptor coming towards me. A…and my gun jammed. I couldn't do anything. She pushed the raptor off the cliff, but…but its tail, it…it pulled her off with it! I'm so sorry Ruby! I couldn't do anything to help her! Please believe me, I tried!" Blake's voice croaks out as it gets hoarse from all the crying. Everyone looks sadly at Blake. Then turns to Ruby, who has yet to even move an inch. Her bangs covering her face, and she was shaking. _'If she wants revenge. I won't stop her. I was so useless!'_ Blake sullenly thinks.

Ruby starts walking towards her. Blake get ready for a punch or maybe a sharp blade taking off her head. But nothing comes. She feels Ruby walk right beside her. She looks up at the blonde's little sister. She sees tears streaming down her face, her eyes red…? As she looks over the edge. _'That can't be right.'_

"It was my fault…" Blake barely hears it, thanks to her faunus hearing. Blake's eyes widen.

"No, Ruby! It was my fault! You told me to keep her from doing anything stupid! But I failed…" Blake looks back down at her hands. _'Useless.'_

"It was my plan! I told her to protect everyone. It's on me." Ruby mutters, at the end. While still searching for signs of Yang. She sees something. It's small, but definitely there. No wonder Blake didn't see it. She doesn't have vampire sight. It was a scrap of orange cloth. Yang's scarf! _'It's something. Maybe she's still alive. I can't give up on her! There's no way she would give up on me.'_ Ruby wipes her eyes and clears her nose. She turns back to everyone with a look of determination.

"You guys, go! Get Jaune out. He still needs help, and we're running out of daylight. Maybe a bit longer than an hour before the sun officially sets. You can't wait any longer!" Ruby shouts to all of them. Coming up with a way to convince them to go on without her.

"And what are you going to do? Just stay here? Yang would want you to keep moving forward. Not wallow in self-pity!" Weiss says, not understanding what Ruby means.

"I'm going to find her. She may still be alive. And if she is I have to find her!" Ruby yells at Weiss.

"Well then, we're coming too. You can't carry Yang by yourself the rest of the way. You would never make it in time!" Weiss argues back.

"No. I can handle it on my own. I'm stronger than you think. Do you have any idea how heavy Crescent Rose is? My scythe? It weighs almost 50 pounds, and I swing it like it weighs five. I'm also the fastest one here. I can find Yang and get her back before the sun sets. You would just slow me down. Weiss. Take Blake and take the knight piece you have. You may not be partners, but Ozpin didn't say we had to return with our own partners, just the piece with a partner. I'll use Yang's when I find her. Pyrrha. Get Jaune and go! Now! You'll be slowed down by carrying him." Ruby starts ranting, like a lunatic.

"Right! Please be careful Ruby." Pyrrha says as she pick up Jaune again.

"We'll come with you. You could use someone to watch your back." Ren says to Pyrrha as he and Nora walk towards her.

"Stay safe Ruby. We're all counting on you to bring your sister back." He says to Ruby.

"Yeah! I want to arm-wrestle her! She seems way strong!" Nora shouts, lightening the mood the only way Nora can.

Ruby laughs a bit, the Nora magic working. "Yeah, I will don't worry." With that, Ren, Nora, Pyrrha, and Jaune start moving. On their way back to the initiation cliff.

She turns to Blake then to Weiss. "Well, Weiss? How 'bout it? Find a problem with my plan yet?" Ruby says smirking towards the heiress.

Weiss huffs. "No…But stop acting like you're so clever! You dolt! You better come back! I don't want to have to explain why I lost my partner on the first day!" Weiss screeches, then her face softens. "You better come back, partner." She repeats, softer this time.

"I will." Ruby says to Weiss, then turns to Blake.

"I'll find your partner Blake. Don't you worry!" She says, giving Blake a smile.

"I know. Just make sure that when you find her. You give her a slug in the arm for me, Ok? She scared me to death with that display. And make sure you both come back Ok." Blake says, trying to keep her emotion from betraying her. She doesn't want to hurt Ruby by placing doubt in her head. They all know that Yang is most likely dead, but they could never say that to Ruby.

"You bet! Now go catch up with the others. They could need your help." Ruby says, shooing them off, as she turns back around towards the cliff to look for her way down.

Blake and Weiss look to each-other, knowing the chances of Yang surviving is slim. They share a sad frown. Then run to catch up with Pyrrha and the others.

* * *

Ruby starts her descent. She takes off straight down the cliff, running on the wall, downwards. Seeing where she can land safely, she halts to pull Crescent Rose out and fires towards the ground, slowing her fall. She lands on a rock just big enough for a little girl to stand on. Ruby sees the scarf and picks it up. She tucks it away in her belt. Ruby searches for any more signs of life, but finds nothing but blood smeared on the sharp rocks. And it's not Grimm blood.

Ruby follows the stream, knowing if Yang did make it, whether if she was unconscious or not, she would have floated down stream. She hops from rock to rock, occasionally having to climb up the ravine when there was no footholds above the water. After ten minutes of following the stream down, she comes across an embankment. _'This would be the first place Yang would have washed up on to. Where is she?'_ She searches for Yang, but finds little to know trace of any recent activity. Just before she is going to keep moving down stream she sees a wet spot on the gravel next to the water's edge. It is mixed with blood, but no body. She sees a trail leading further away from the water. _'Yang! She's alive! And still able to move! Man she had me so worried. I might just actually punch her for Blake.'_ She follows the trail. Coming around a giant rock where the trail leads, she stops. She hears voices talking. Multiple. Also masculine voices. _'Maybe fellow hunters in training found her and are trying to help?'_ She thinks as she comes around to see them kneeling over Yang's body. Two guys beside her sister's body. One starts to remove Yang's shirt. The other, facing away from Ruby with his back to her, shifts and seems to grab something from himself and moves it to Yang's face.

All reasoning is gone from Ruby's mind. Her eyes turn red and she shrieks out her sister's name. They turn to the girl startled by the shriek. Not even given the chance to explain themselves, Ruby was on them immediately. She stuck Crescent Rose in the first one's gut and left it there. Then grabbed the other one by the throat lifting him of the ground. "You hurt her!" She screams in his face.

"No! Please! I was jus-!" He tries to defend himself. But she gives him no chance as she rips out his throat.

The blood rage consumes Ruby. She starts digging into his open neck. Almost drinking him dry.

"Mmmmh…"

Ruby hears a whimper on the ground. It stops her and she looks down to see Yang trying to move. Ruby's eyes go back to silver and she drops the limp body to the side, and out of view. She drops down next to Yang. She wipes her own face on her sleeve to get the blood away. And cups Yang's head in her hands to force her to only look at her. "Yang! Yang just look at me, alright? You're going to be fine! I promise. I'll get you out!"

Yang's eyes flutter open. "R…Ruby? What's going on? I'm so tired." She closes her eyes for a brief second and it terrifies Ruby.

"Yang! No! Don't go to sleep! Please! Stay with me! You promised!" Ruby pleads, so desperate to keep Yang conscious.

"I did, didn't I? It hurts though, Ruby…I just want to rest for a little bit…just five more minutes." Her voice barely even a whisper. With that Yang closes her eyes and her breathing slows to a crawl.

"Yang…?! Yang, no…! Come back, please!" Ruby cries and lays her head on Yang's chest. One part wanting the comfort, one part trying to see if there is still a pulse. It was very feint. Only picked up by her vampire hearing. With hope renewed, Ruby looks at Yang's broken body closer. Blood from her opened left shoulder, _'looks like a bite from a raptor. Damn you Ozpin!'_ Ruby calms down and goes back to checking out Yang's injuries. Broken left arm, in two places. Her chest is covered in blood, probably internal bleeding becoming external. Broken left leg, it's twisted. That's going to hurt moving it to reset it. Good thing she's already passed out. _'She probably fell on her left side and chest.'_ Ruby gets to work resetting all her limbs and rigging up a splint with whatever she can find around. She wraps the orange scarf tightly around her chest to slow the blood. She tears off a piece of her cape to wrap around her shoulder to stop the bite mark from bleeding. As good of a condition as she can get Yang in right now, Ruby lifts Yang, carrying her bridal style. Yang's left side up against Ruby's chest. Yang's left arm safely tucked into her body lying on top of herself. _'Yang…please make it. I can't lose you too.'_ With that Ruby takes off with Yang in her arms. Powered by her semblance, vampiric speed, and a great amount of determination and desperation. Ruby charges towards the initiation cliff, with the slowly setting sun at her back.

* * *

 **Another Cliff hanger! I know and I'm sorry for that. I was going to cut this chapter short at the moment when Ruby and the others head into the forest to take on the alpha, but I decided against it. I promised that this chapter would be the end of initiation and I had to deliver. Those raptor Grimm are no joke, huh? Clever little bastards. Their names, Velox-Mortem, it's Latin for swift death. The Grimm is clearly based off of the dinosaur, the velociraptor. Which is Latin for swift robber, or bandit. Which is why I added that example Ruby gave in this chapter, about when the fort is weakened the bandits strike. Thank you to everyone who is supporting this story. Don't forget to give me a review. Could be a question, or just to tell me something you like or dislike. Both can help improve this story, so feel free. Peace out!**


	4. In Intensive Care

**I'll pull a Pyrrha and say, "Hello again!" Now onto the next chapter. How Pyrrha and the rest find help. And How Ruby gets her sister to safety. I had quite a few people suggest that Ruby should just turn Yang in to a vampire and that solves all of the worries. That is not how that works. xD I'm sorry, but Ruby would never want Yang to be cursed like she is. I explain in this chapter how she feels on the matter. As well as other things, like what really triggered her shadows to appear. We're almost at 2000 views already! This story is doing so much better than I thought it would. I owe it all to you guys! Thanks for reading.**

 **I was replying to guest reviews, but that is apparently against the rules, so I removed them from all the current chapters. Sorry guests!**

 **On to the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 4: In Intensive Care

The Sun was close to setting. Pyrrha and the others were rushing up the hill to the cliff where the rendezvous spot was set. She could already see students gathered at the top, but she was looking for Ozpin or Goodwitch. She had to get to someone that could call for help. Jaune was still losing blood and his breathing was getting worse.

The other students they passed started to get out of the way to make room for the injured. The whole group at this point, were all panting out of breath from the non-stop sprint out of the Emerald forest. Too tired to care of what the crowd of soon-to-be hunters were whispering about. Hushed voices of, _'What was that thing?'_ and, _'I can't believe we made it out alive.'_ Apparently, their group wasn't the only ones to run into unexpected forces of Grimm. And not the only group to suffer injury or losses.

Several students were on the ground, in stretchers. Now that they can finally catch a breath and look around they start noticing transport vehicles. Bull-Heads ferrying the hurt to shelter were they can be operated on in the school's infirmary. They see Ozpin and Glynda next to a Bull-Head that's on the ground. Medics currently loading a few injured kids into the ship, setting up standing IV drips that will stay in place during the ride to the school. The group rushes up to the two professors.

"Professor Ozpin! He needs help!" Pyrrha shouts to the secret vampire. "His leg was bitten in to. Something called a Velox-Mortem. He's lost a lot of blood!"

"Alright! Calm down now. Everything is going to be fine. These fine people will take care of him." Ozpin says, gesturing to the medics. After the medics finish loading the last person they picked up, they hop off the Bull-Head.

"Sorry Sir, there is no more room in this one. You're going to have to wait for the next. It shouldn't be long. Maybe five minutes? The next ship should be coming back for another pick-up by then." The medic in charge informs.

He gestures to the other students on the ground, then looks to Pyrrha and Jaune. "They all need help too. I'm sorry ma'am, but you're going to have to wait before we can help him." He finishes nodding his head to Jaune.

"How are all of these people injured? What happened during initiation, Professor? And why was the threat level of Grimm so high?!" Weiss asks, at her wits end.

"I'm sorry, Miss Schnee, but I did give every student fair warning-…" Ozpin starts explaining, but is cut off by Weiss.

"But-…" Weiss is then cut off by Ozpin. He raises his cane up to stop her.

"Now, now. I know what you're going to say. 'A warning could never prepare us for a threat that terrifying.' I know and I'm sorry. It was not my intention to have this initiation be something you could prepare for. This initiation was meant to prepare you for the future. Had I not increased the threat level, all of you would have learned and proved nothing." Ozpin speaks, explaining his thought process.

* * *

The Bull-Head takes off with the injured cargo. The roar of the engines drowning out all noise around. And the wind blows everyone's hair and clothing around like a storm. The group, including Ozpin and Glynda, head over to a spot where they can talk privately. They find some trees for shade. And Nora doesn't wait for anyone's permission before plopping down unceremoniously, too exhausted. Ren doesn't fare much better. He falls down on his butt to sit down instead of Nora's approach, which was to fall down face first into the grass. Weiss chooses to stand rather than get her clothes dirty. Blake takes to leaning against the nearest tree. Pyrrha still hasn't put down Jaune. Refusing to let her partner go unless it's to help him. Ozpin continues with his explanation.

"What you learned in those woods was that being a hunter is no easy task. When you go to learn at one of the smaller schools around the Kingdoms such as Signal, they don't teach you that leading the life of a hunter is being around death most of your lives. This was a culling of sorts. A very gruesome way to put it, I know, but believe me it fits. For those who see this test as too much, now have a reason to leave before they get too far into this life. For if you can't handle this, there is nothing for you here at my school. It will only get harder." Ozpin gives them all a sad look. His head tilted down, so the students could see his eyes from behind his glasses. How serious he was about this was shown to them. He pushes his glasses back up on his nose.

"Fortunately though, there have been no reported deaths. Lots of injuries, yes, and some so far, unaccounted for, unfortunately, but that is something all hunters will have to live with, and we are doing everything we can to find those that have yet to make it. This life is a very hard one. And it would be very irresponsible of me as your Headmaster to not show you what you are all in for." With that, he turns around and heads back to the landing zone to wait for the next ship so he can help with the loading. As he walks off Weiss asks him a question.

"Wait a minute…As our Headmaster? Does that mean we are already accepted?" Weiss asks, confused.

Ozpin turns around at her question. "Well, you have a spot at my school, yes. Whether or not you take that spot is up to you. After going through what you six have, you need to ask yourself if this is what you really want."

As Ozpin finishes, Blake has lost patience. "Sir, we still haven't seen Ruby or Yang. Yang went missing and Ruby went to go look for her. If they're not back by now. I can come along to help look with the other parties you sent out to search. I'm not hurt." Blake informs, still worried about the little red head and her partner. What they failed to notice, was that the entire time they were talking, Glynda never said a thing while she was watching something on her scroll.

"Sir, she's on her way back. She has her sister with her. It's not good. You're going to want to see the footage after we get everyone out of here. But her sister is still breathing." Glynda says to Ozpin, anger in her eyes about something.

"It appears, there is no need, Miss Belladonna. Miss Rose is on her way now with your partner in tow." Ozpin informs. Curious of what he should see on the footage to make his colleague so upset.

"She found her!? And she's alive?! I can't believe it! That dolt actually did it!" Weiss says, finally a smile on her face. _'Maybe I really have lucked out with my partner? What can't she do? Kills that terrifying alpha, then saves her sister from certain death. This partnership might not be so bad with her on **my** team.'_

"Careful Weiss, you're smiling." Blake laughs, interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh shut-up Blake! I'm just happy I won't be without a partner my whole time at Beacon." Weiss yells, stomping her foot, blushing.

"It's Ok." Blake laughs at Weiss' tantrum. "I know how you feel. I'm happy too. We have some pretty crazy partners, huh?" She asks.

"That we do, Blake." Weiss smiles softly.

"But what's not good, Sir? What's wrong with the footage?" Blake asks, remembering what Glynda said.

"It's nothing for you to worry about, I assure you. It's just an error on the feed that will require his attention later." Glynda lies for Ozpin since he wouldn't know anyways. He hasn't seen the footage yet.

"You're sure they are alright?" Weiss asks, a little worried now.

As if right on Que. A flurry of rose petals comes whirling by, to stop in front of Ozpin. Ruby holding her still sister to her chest. "Call a transport now! She won't make it much longer! Hurry! Please!" Ruby yells, her eyes red, from tears this time, cheeks stained by them and smeared blood. Her yelling is drowned out by the arrival of the next shuttle. Just in time.

"Hurry on to the shuttle! Only the most critical first!" Yells the medic that steps off the ship. Ruby doesn't even ask, knowing no one is more hurt then Yang. She zooms in, nothing but a blur of rose petals. Pyrrha rushes over with Jaune still in her arms. The medic puts a hand up.

"Ma'am, please! He's lost a lot of blood. You have to take him!" Pyrrha demands.

"Ok, but you have to stay. Only the most injured on. Even if you're family. We have to make room." The woman medic says. Pyrrha slowly nods her acceptance. Handing Jaune over. Ozpin walks past.

"I'll make sure he's Ok, Miss Nikos." Ozpin says, getting on the transport.

The medic tries to stop him, but Ozpin assures her. "I have medical training. I can help." The medic nods and lets him past.

Ozpin turns back to Glynda. "Make sure everyone returns back to the school. And be in my office by the time you get back. I want to see that footage." She gives him a nod. Waiting with the rest of the students for the next air ship.

* * *

' _Whoever tries to get Ruby to leave Yang's side might possibly lose a limb if they're not careful.'_ Ozpin thinks, grimly. _'I'll need to make sure no one approaches them. For their own safety.'_ Ozpin starts searching for Ruby and Yang among the crowd of prone bodies on the ship floor. He spots them in a corner. A medic approaching them.

"Miss. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to as-?" The medic tries to get out while walking toward Ruby, but is interrupted by Ozpin putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Please, let her stay. That's her sister. She almost lost family." Ozpin tries to convince the medic.

"I'm sorry Sir, but no one is allowed on except those in life threatening condition. Those are the rules. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to leave as well. Who let you on here anyways?" The medic asks, not budging.

 **"I beg you to reconsider. The girl and I are allowed on here."** Ozpin states as a fact. His red eyes glowing in the poorly lit space, staring into the poor man's eyes.

"Yes…that's fine…go right ahead…" The medic mutters. He stumbles away with half-lidded eyes. Dazed, like he just woke up.

The last student is brought aboard. And the ship takes off. Ozpin walks over to Ruby. He puts a hand on her shoulder. She slowly grabs the hand. Then swiftly turns around and puts her other hand on Ozpin's throat, choking him. And runs him into the closest wall. "You did this! She's in this shape, because you released those things! How could you!? Had it been any other group, they would have been picked off like cattle! This is your fault! I should kill you right now!" Ruby yells. Fury in her, now crimson red eyes. She starts tightening her grip on his throat.

As soon as his hand touched her shoulder, her blood felt that familiar boil. Since the encounter with the first Velox-Mortem, Ruby has been infuriated by Ozpin's decisions. Putting so many lives in danger for what? She figured out his reasons. That this was to show everyone that a hunter's life is filled with pain. She knows that the hunter life is a short one. But no group of human kids could possibly handle a full pack of Raptor Grimm. She realized that must have been the reason. He set them loose for her.

Ozpin, tired of this fledgling losing control so easily, so often, finally snaps. "I know!" With that, he unleashes his shadows. No one on this side of the ship to see. All the patients around them passed out from sedatives. His shadows are a very dark green, almost black. Jagged in design. They bind her and hold her in the air. She tries to struggle out, but the grip is too strong. "Calm down, Ruby and think! Why would I intentionally want you and your sister dead if I asked for your help? The day before you and Yang left for Beacon. I talked with your father, Taiyang. I asked him how your shadow training was going. He told me you haven't even unlocked it yet! This was the result of your complacency!" He gestured to Yang's broken body.

"Had you already unlocked your shadows, I would never have endangered the lives of my future students! I needed something dangerous enough to threaten your life! Something that would cause your shadows to manifest on reflex. If you want to learn at my school! If you want to learn what happened to your mother! Than you need to cooperate!" He takes a breath and calms down. "A vampire that can't keep their head, is a vampire I don't need. We'll continue this conversation in my office when we touch down." Ozpin finishes, giving no room for arguing.

He was right. She needed to be put in a place where she couldn't stay calm. Had she been alone with the alpha in those woods, she would have dealt with it without too much danger. She needed to be nervous for her friends and family, troubled so that her emotions would bring out her shadows to protect her or her friends.

He lets her down, his shadows going back to his body, and she falls to her hands and knees. "So…She's hurt because of me…" Ruby whispers, starting to cry again.

"She's hurt because she chose the life of a hunter. You cannot blame yourself for her own choices, Ruby." Ozpin says, back to his normal, wise, manner.

"It just hurts so much! How do you deal with the heartache?!" She yells, feeling broken.

"It passes in time. One thing we vampires do have, in abundance, is time. You're lucky though, Ruby. She's still alive. Now all you can do is cherish what time you still have with her." Ozpin says, living long enough to experience every type of heartache.

"I will. We promised each-other." Ruby mutters.

"Oh? Ruby, you know that's not a promise she can keep forever, right?" Ozpin says sadly.

"I know…That's why we have to make the most of it. Turning her would have been a mistake. Forcing her to live this cursed 'life' is not something I would ever want for her." She whispers, looking back at Yang's unconscious form.

Ozpin smiles and chuckles a little. "My, you sound like you're talking about your lover or something." He knows that's exactly what it is. But does **she**?

"Wh-what!? Sh-she's my sister! That's…no…she's just all I have left. That's all…" Ruby says not totally convincing herself.

"Alright. I believe you." _'Not a chance!'_ Ozpin laughs on the inside. Ruby and Ozpin see the same medic that Ozpin entranced come by to check on Yang's vitals. He then walks away without a word when he's done.

"We'll be touching down shortly. I know you'll be wanting to stick with Yang, but you would only get in the way of the doctors. We should head to my office to talk further." He says as they start their descent.

"Fine…" Ruby crosses her arms and pouts. "As long as she's in good hands, that's fine. But I want to see her as soon as they're done working on her!"

"Of course. They should be done by the time we are finished talking." Ozpin gets out as they land. They wait for all the staff to rush out the injured. Medical teams from the ground come in to help speed it up. A group of EMTs come over to get the worst ones, including Yang. Ruby grabs ahold of Yang's right hand, the uninjured one, and starts telling them all of Yang's injuries. Trying to help as much as she can. When they make it off the ship and start heading for the infirmary building, they tell her she can't stay.

"Please send me a message when this one is in stable condition." Ozpin says to the lead EMT, gesturing to Yang.

"This way, Ruby. Let them do their jobs. We still need to finish our conversation." Ozpin says pulling her away from Yang. Ruby gives Yang one last sad and concerned look before she lets him lead her away to his office.

* * *

They step inside Ozpin's circular office. The gears in the ceiling and on the walls still turning and clacking, making a type of rhythm. Ozpin takes a seat and gestures to the other one on the opposite side of the glass desk for Ruby to sit. She takes it and looks at him expectantly.

"So tell me, did it work? Did you unlock your shadows?" He finally starts after reaching over and pouring himself a mug of whatever it is that he drinks. Some dark liquid. Maybe blood. But with the steam coming off of it, probably not. He then offers Ruby a cup while he waits for her response.

She waves her hand away, in a negative manner to the beverage. "I did. Right when I was about to become dinner for the alpha, my shadows unlocked and it snared him without any direction from me." She shrugs, not knowing what to make of it exactly. "I guess it happened as you said. I was afraid for my life and they came out on their own volition."

"Good. I'm glad that this wasn't in vain. Do you think you could try it? Calling upon your shadows?" Ozpin asks, wanting to see what hers look like. They all take up different designs. Some say it takes after your aura, others believe it's based off of your clan.

"I could try? I've never had any luck trying to force it though. That was the only time I have ever seen them." Ruby says, getting up to move to the center of the room.

"Well, try thinking of that moment. The one you were in when you called them out without meaning to. Emotions can be very helpful when discovering your semblance. It's no different with your shadow. Just make sure you don't let your emotions control you. You could hurt yourself, or the ones around you." Ozpin starts coaching her through it. _'This may be the reason why she never unlocked them before. She was young when Summer died. She probably never taught her since she was so young.'_

"Ok…I'll try it." Ruby states, then concentrates and thinks of what she was feeling up to the moment she almost died. Anger, fear, sorrow, and…regret? _'What did I have to regret over?'_ Ruby thinks wondering what she could regret.

Yang's face flashed in her mind. The moment they were parting when she went to face the alpha. Yang's lilac eyes, on the verge of tears. Now that she remembers them. It was like Yang was questioning something while she was looking into Ruby's silver orbs. Like she wanted to ask something important of Ruby. Ruby didn't know why, but she felt like whatever the question was, she would have said yes to it. _'I guess I regret making Yang cry?'_ She thinks. _'I never want to see Yang that sad again.'_ With that, she feels a pulse of energy.

She opened her eyes and she was surrounded by her shadow! "I did it!" She yells, unbelieving of her eyes. Her shadows were crimson red. They took the form of thin, cylindrical vines, with razor sharp thorns dotting the entirety of their surface.

"Great job, Ruby. Now we just need to show you how to control them." Ozpin says, but that will have to wait. Because as if on Que, Glynda storms into his office, looking livid at Ruby.

* * *

"Alright, young lady! It's time you explain your actions when you found Miss Xiao Long!" Glynda belted out. Ruby shrinks in on herself, not liking it one bit to be scolded. Her shadows shrink with her, going back to their original place inside her.

"I'm assuming you're referring to the video I need to see? Let me see it." Ozpin asks, making a grasping motion with his left hand. She hands him her scroll and he hits play. She had it to play a few moments before Ruby snapped on the two boys. He sees from a nearby rock, two potential students dragging an unconscious Yang to a small cove. One pulls out some scissors to cut open her shirt. The other pulls out a small plunger of morphine. As soon as he moves closer to inject Yang with the morphine in the neck, Ruby shows up screaming and starts attacking the two boys. He sees how vicious she was with the second young man, drinking his blood out of his opened throat.

"Ruby!? Have you no control over your darker side?! This is exactly what I was talking about! Not letting your emotions cloud your judgement! They were helping her, Ruby!" He yells understanding why Glynda was so pissed off. He shows Ruby the footage. The part before she attacked them. Ruby watches the guy stick Yang with the morphine. And at that, she backs away, ashamed of her actions.

"I…I didn't know…I-I-I thought they…" She starts sobbing. "They touched her…th-they were hurting her. I had to stop it!" She starts hugging herself. Trying to stop the shaking. She goes quiet. Just the sound of her tears and the occasional whimper. "Wh-what were…what were their names?" She finally asks.

"They were Jericho and Nuri…they would have made great huntsmen." Glynda answers, now feeling sorry for Ruby. She walks towards her to put her hand on her shoulder.

Ruby wraps her arms around Glynda and hugs her for dear life. She starts crying again, louder. "I'm sorry! I'm s-s-so sorry!" Glynda returns the hug, trying to comfort her the best she can.

Ozpin gets a notification on his scroll. He reads it… _'Yang Xiao Long is out of ICU, she can see visitors now, still under effects of sedation.'_ He puts the scroll away and walks over to Ruby. "Ruby, you can see her now…we'll talk about this later. You should go be with Yang." Ozpin says, with a soft voice.

Ruby pulls back from Glynda at the sound of Yang's name. "Sh-she's Ok?" She asks, her voice hoarse from crying her eyes out.

"Yes. She's in the Intensive Care Unit's visiting room. I'll show you. Come with me." Ozpin answers. Then he looks to Glynda. "How are the other teams?"

"All but Jericho and Nuri are accounted for. We'll send a team to recover their bodies. 21 of the 56 potential hunters made it out without any major injury, including Miss Rose, and most of her new team, excluding Miss Xiao Long." Glynda answers looking at her scroll she got back.

"My team?" Ruby asks, in a quiet, tired voice.

"Yes. I suppose it doesn't hurt to tell you a day before the ceremony. You, Miss Schnee, Miss Belladonna, and your sister, will all be on a team together. And you will be leader." Glynda answers. Ruby just nods her head and gives a mumble of acknowledgement, too drained of energy to feel happy to be on a team with her new friends and sister. She then shuffles over to Ozpin, who is waiting by the door to lead her to her sister.

* * *

 **I felt now was a good place to stop. Yang's out of danger for now. And everyone made it back with Goodwitch. Ruby discovered her shadows! What they look like is clearly a representation of a thorny rose. Ozpin's is a little hard to think of. We haven't really seen his semblance, so I based it off of The emerald city, sort of. Green and raising up from the ground like spikes of tall buildings. So with that, make sure to follow if you want to be reminded of the next update! And please continue to review! If you have any questions of the story, I will answer them the best I can without giving spoilers. I like to talk with you guys about this story, so don't be shy! Seeya next time!**


	5. Nightmares and Memories

**Alright! Ruby gets to see Yang again. A bit more exposition in this chapter for this world of vampires. So I hope you like it. I updated chapter 1 again. I hope it reads less like a screen play now. Almost 3000 views! You guys rock! Thank you. Now onto the chapter. Nightmares and Memories. What could go wrong?**

* * *

Chapter 5: Nightmares and Memories

Ruby and Ozpin walk towards the infirmary where Yang is being kept. They cross the main courtyard. Neither one wanting to say much. Ruby, because she is starting to feel the fatigue setting in from the initiation. _'Using my semblance and vampire speed always tires me out so much…uugh. I could sleep forever. I have to see Yang first though. I need to know she's Ok.'_ Ruby thinks, as she shuffles on, next to Ozpin.

Ozpin isn't speaking, because he really wants to ask how Ruby doesn't see how badly Yang wants her. That and he's still very angry for Ruby's constant loss of control. _'She's getting to be a real handful, Summer. You really should have taught her more. I know she was young, but you had four years to teach her. I suppose you weren't planning on dying though.'_ Ozpin sighs and looks to Ruby. _'She's so much like you though, Summer. She looks just like you, even her shadows resemble yours…Ugh, and don't get me started on how stubborn she is. She would stop at nothing to save the ones she loves. And that's just the problem. We're going to have to work on her control…I promise, I won't let Ruby end up like_ _ **her**_ _.'_ Ozpin stops from his thoughts.

"Ruby, wait." Ozpin puts his hand on Ruby's shoulder to stop her. They're just outside the infirmary. "Before we continue, I want you to know that I understand why you did what you did. Believe me when I say, 'I know what it's like to almost lose family,' I have loved and lost for far longer than you can imagine. And every time it hurts just as much as the last. But that doesn't make it Ok to go off the chain like you do. Summer never taught you to control your emotions did she?" Ozpin turns her to look him in the eyes.

"No…I was only ten when she died. I had just started training with uncle Qrow to fight with a scythe." Ruby starts playing with her cape. "She told me we would start training to use my shadows that summer that she went on that mission she never came back from." Her breath hitches to hold back a whimper.

"But first I had to learn to control my emotions. I didn't know what she meant at the time, but I think I do now…What's happening to me?" She looks up to him, pleading to explain.

He releases a heavy sigh. "Ruby, when a vampire is sired, they are meant to be taught by the one that sired them. This isn't just for being a good parent either. Not teaching a new vampire to control their emotions is a huge mistake. Do you remember the first month or so when you were a new vampire?" Ozpin asks, knowing she won't like where this is headed.

"Uhm…not really? I was only six. And around the beginning of my first year and before are all a bit blurry." Ruby asks, confused.

"I'm not surprised. When a vampire is newly sired, that first month is tough on their body. Adjusting to the changes that have to take place is rough on the person. And because of this the fledgling has to feed daily to keep up their strength. The body has to repeatedly break itself down to reform the new one. And to regenerate all the strength that is lost in the process, the vampire has to feed every day. It generally puts them in a blood rage for about a month. That's why you don't remember, because while you're in a blood rage all reasoning is lost and the only thing that matters to you is getting blood."Ozpin releases another sigh.

"The reason I'm telling you this, is because if you don't practice controlling your emotions you will be stuck as that rampaging fledgling. Losing all reasoning at the sight of blood." Ozpin looks down, rubbing the stress from the bridge of his nose.

"All of this could have been avoided if Summer would have just listened to me sooner. I tried to tell her to teach you when you were about eight, but she said you were still too young. She wasn't completely wrong at the time. You see, while learning to control your emotions is very important, at your age it would also benefit you from feeding as often as you did at that age. It helped you grow stronger while you were young. Her teaching you to control your baser urges would have limited your potential." Ozpin smiles a bit, at Ruby.

"Your mother wanted you to become as strong as possible before you reached the age of maturity. But now you need to learn before it's too late. There have been… **others** that decided to forgo controlling their emotions." Ozpin says, as he looks off in the distance.

"But I will tell you more, later. You have your sister to see. And I have two families to call. Jericho and Nuri's families will not hear of what actually happened, you need not worry." He waves off Ruby's worry, then gives her a serious look.

"While I think you are deserving of a severe punishment for what you did to them." He says glaring at her.

"That might be a little harsh to throw you under the bus like that."His face softens. "I was somewhat responsible for what happened as well. I'll tell them that a group of Grimm got to them before we could save them. We can't let people know of what we are. Something I am certain your mother taught you, considering out first encounter when you tried to take my head off." Ozpin says with a small laugh, trying to break the morbid tension.

It sort of works. Ruby smiles a little. "Ok… Thank you, for helping me I mean. I don't want to hurt anyone else." She finishes, talking softly, looking down at the ground.

"I know, you're just like your mother…" He mutters. Then turns around to wave his cane to her over his shoulder. "Say, 'hi' to Yang for me. Give her a kiss on the cheek for me will you?" Ozpin starts laughing, knowing she's blushing crimson, as he walks away, back to his office.

"Man…why does he do that?" Ruby mutters under her breath as she opens the door to the infirmary.

* * *

Ruby winces at the white fluorescent lighting reflecting off the pure white walls. She notices the staff running around with patients in gurneys. Loud voices all around her. _'I guess this makes sense. There were a lot of people injured during the initiation. I bet they're understaffed. Over thirty students with serious injury shipped to them in the same day.'_ Ruby sighs openly. _'Ozpin you really know how to make someone feel terrible. All this because of me…'_ She finishes sadly.

Walking up to the front desk. She notices a faunus lady with hippo ears and dark brown hair. "Yes, Ma'am? How can I help you?" The woman asks, watching Ruby approach. She smiles up at the larger woman.

"Uhm, I'm here to see Yang Xiao Long. She was hurt pretty badly." Ruby answers. Still feeling responsible for her sister's condition.

"Name?" The receptionist asks simply.

"Ruby Rose. I-…" Ruby answers, but is cut off before she could say more.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. But I can't let you in. She's in one of the intensive care unit's recovery rooms. Only family is allowed in at this time until she's moved to a normal visiting room." The lady says, frowning at Ruby.

"I am family though! Check her records!" Ruby yells, looking visibly upset, being denied entrance to her sister's room. "I'm her sister. I… was adopted." Only made more visible when she reveals something she doesn't like to talk about. Mumbling the last part.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry! Let me check again." The receptionist goes over Yang's file again. Looking at the family allowed permission. "One, Ruby Rose. You're right Miss. I'm sorry, again. She's in room 203. Second floor on the east side of the building. I hope she makes a full recovery." The faunus gives a weak smile to Ruby. Still worried she hurt her feelings.

"Thank you." Ruby smiles back. "And I know she will. She's tough and unbelievably stubborn." Ruby says, starting to cheer up now that nothing is in her way from seeing Yang again.

The receptionist laughs. "I'm sure she is. You take care, dear."

* * *

Ruby walks up to the elevator and goes to hit the button to call it down to the ground floor, but realizes the elevator is already coming down by the dots above the doorway indicating what floor it is currently on. After a few beats, the system dings and the doors slide open. The passengers file out around Ruby as they walk to the exit. Done visiting their friends or loved ones. Ruby steps in and pushes the button labeled '2'. Ready to see her sister. The doors close and the elevator shifts to start moving up. It dings again and she steps out looking for the east side wing. After a bit of travel and scanning the numbers of the doors… _'200,201,202…203!'_ Ruby walks up to the door and braces herself for the sight of her sister.

She opens the door and steps in looking at the bed with a figure on it. The figures laying perfectly still. Seemingly frozen in time. They are unconscious, their left arm and leg are in casts, both kept elevated by rope to help them set properly and reduce the swelling. The golden locks of the person are kept back by a gauze wrapping around their head. Ruby sees steady breathing coming from the form. Only ensured by the steady beeping of the EKG she now hears.

Ruby starts to cry, trembling at seeing her sister in such a state. _'I'm sorry…I'm so, so sorry.'_ Ruby runs over to the right hand side of the bed. She pulls up a chair and sits down next to her sister, holding her uninjured hand. She brings it to her face to cry into it. "I'm sorry, Yang!" Her body, fully racked with her sobbing at this point. She keeps Yang's hand in hers as she lays her head down on Yang's side to cry into her.

* * *

 _ **Darkness…It slowly starts to fade away to a single, dark color. Red…All she can see is red. Her vision starts to focus. Like she's waking up from being knocked out. She sees her hands in front of her face, covered in blood.**_ _'Whose blood?'_ _ **She looks down and sees Yang lying there. Her eyes open in horror. Her face showing how surprised she was when she was betrayed and murdered. Her golden tresses splattered by crimson. Ruby looks down at her sister's throat. It's torn out nothing but blood flowing, pooling around her body. Ruby tastes copper in her mouth. A familiar copper. One that she has always had a craving for. It tastes sweet and also sour…like strawberries and lemons.**_

" **You did this Ruby! You killed me! You monster! I trusted you and you eat me?! You're not my sister anymore. At least in death… I'll never have to see your face again."** _ **Ruby looks down in horror at the voice coming from Yang.**_

" _No…I didn't…I didn't mean to! Please, Yang! Don't leave me! I'm sorry!"_ _ **Ruby shouts, clutching the dead body of Yang.**_

" _ **You know what you could do right? Raise her! It's too late to turn her into a vampire, she's already dead. But you could raise her. Give her your blood! It would bring her back. You would have your sister again…More or less…" Ruby can hear the sound of her own voice telling her to make a monster of her own sister.**_

" _No! Anything but that! She wouldn't even be her again! Please?! There has to be another way!" Ruby screams, shaking her head negatively at the idea._

" _ **There isn't Ruby. You know that. You killed her, now you have to pay the price!" She hears her own voice telling her again.**_

" _No! I won't do it! You can't make me! NOOOOO!"_

* * *

"Hey! Hey! Easy there! It was a bad dream that's all kid. Calm down." Ruby hears another voice talking her. This one, less sadistic and evil. She stops and looks up. She's back in the visitor's room next to Yang's unconscious, but alive body. She looks to the right, towards the door, and sees a man in a white medical coat, leaning down next to her. He has very short blonde hair with green eyes. He looks at her worried.

"Are you Ok, now?" The man asks, still worried.

Ruby releases a heavy sigh. "Just a dream…" She mumbles to herself, not meaning for him to pick it up.

"Yeah. It was just a dream. Some dream though, I came in here to check Miss Xiao Long's vitals and I find you here, screaming bloody murder! It's alright though, she's gonna be Ok now. It will take some time to heal her broken limbs, but they will heal." The doctor says, trying to comfort the little girl.

"Yang…" Ruby mumbles, still squeezing Yang's hand for dear life. She looks at Yang's face and smiles sadly. _'She's gonna be Ok. I'll never have to make that choice. I won't let her be hurt again.'_ Ruby sighs again.

"I guess you two are pretty close? Girlfriend?" He asks honestly.

That snaps Ruby out of her somber mood. "Wh-what?! No! Why does everyone think that?!" She shouts, blushing furiously. Looking down, trying to hide it.

"Well…you seem very protective of her. And you don't look anything alike, so you can't be family, right?" The man asks, a small smile forming on his face at how nervous and twitchy she has gotten.

"We are sisters! I'll have you know!" Ruby shouts, mad for another person denying the chance for them to be sisters. "It's none of your business how we know each-other! Hmmph!" Ruby finishes, crossing her arms and looking away from him, pouting up a storm.

"Well, actually it is. I'm the doctor in charge of her, and no one gets in to see her unless I say so. Only family members allowed for now. So if you aren't sisters then I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." He says, just trying to get a rise out of her.

"We are sisters!" Ruby yells at him, then gets quiet and looks down at her hand that has Yang's in its grasp. "I was adopted. Our mom found me in Mistral when I was six. She saved me from living alone on the streets. She gave me a family." Ruby says going quiet and shedding a few tears. Rubbing them out of her eyes.

"Ok. I believe you. I'm sorry to hear that though. Why were you on the streets, if you don't mind me asking?" The man asks, just curious.

"I don't know. I was young and I guess the experience was traumatizing for me. I don't remember anything." Ruby half lies. _'I don't remember, because mom turned me. Everything up to that point is hazy in memory.'_ Ruby remembers in her head. "I guess my previous family wanted nothing to do with me." Ruby says, looking at Yang. _'I don't need another family. I have the one I want right here.'_

"Well, good riddance to them. You seem like a nice enough person. If you ask me, they're the ones missing out." He says, with a smile on his face.

"Thank you…" Ruby mumbles. "So… how long until she's back on her feet?" Ruby asks, knowing Yang's going to hate being bed ridden.

"Well, normally it would be about two months. But she has an impressive aura reserve. Probably why she survived such extensive damage in the first place. I would say, no longer than a month and she should be able to walk again. With crutches, at least. I've read her medical file from Signal Academy. I know she doesn't like staying still and recovering. But you can't let her train until she's fully healed. She needs rest. I'm sure you can handle that, right?" The doctor answers.

"You bet! She's not getting off that easily! She's not going to the gym for a long time." Ruby says, looking over at Yang angry. Knowing she will try to push herself.

Ruby looks back at the doctor. "Oh yeah what's your name? I want to thank you for helping my sister."

"It's Doctor Williams. And I was just doing my job. No need to thank me Miss…?" Doctor Williams says. Hoping for her name as well.

"It's Ruby. Thank you, Doctor Williams. I really appreciate you saving my sister. I thought I lost her…" Ruby says, getting somber again at the end.

"Well, she's fine now. And I heard that she was saved by her sister in the first place. Was that you?" He says, checking the EKG.

"It was…She fell off a cliff. I had to find her." Ruby says, her grip tightening on Yang's hand.

"I see. I'm sure she appreciates what you did for her." Doctor Williams smiles softly, while writing down some notes on the clip board.

"Yeah…I'm sure she does." Ruby says, softly. Looking at Yang's sleeping face. _'All I did is put her in harm's way…I'm so sorry Yang.'_

"Well, I'm about done here. I think I'll take my leave. Make sure you keep your sister out of trouble. No exercise until she's fully healed. Got it? She can be a real handful." He says, walking to the door.

"I got it. And you have no idea! Thanks again, Doctor Williams." She says back smiling. Waving to him as he approaches the door.

"Of course. You're welcome Ruby. I'll see you later, next check-up. If your still here." He says as he opens the door and steps out. Closing it behind him.

Ruby looks back to Yang, smiling. _'She sure can be.'_ She puts her head down on top of Yang's hand that she's still holding onto. And she drifts off to sleep again. Surprisingly no nightmares this time.

* * *

Her eyes flutter open slowly, forgetting where she was. She felt a hand playing with her hair. "Did you sleep well?" She hears a voice say.

"mmmh…" She mumbles contently at the fingers going through her crimson tresses. Then she remembers where she is and who she fell asleep next to. She throws her head up and looks forward. Yang is there smiling at her.

"Hey." Yang says softly, as if nothing happened.

Ruby threw her arms around Yang and squeezed the life out of her. Holding on as if she let go she would lose her again. _'Never again.'_

"Gahhh…Ruby, too tight! Is this what it feels like?" Yang says, in pain from the crushing hug putting pressure on her cracked ribs. Wondering if that's what she does to people when she gives them a bear hug. She tries to return it with her one moving arm. Wrapping it around Ruby gently, trying to show her to pull back a bit on the death grip.

"Oops…I'm sorry Yang! Are you alright?" Ruby asks, reducing the grip, but not letting go.

"Mmmh…Yeah, I'll be fine. Just really sore is all." Yang whimpers a bit from the pain. After that, Ruby smothers her own head back into Yang's chest to hug her again. Yang looks down at Ruby, blushing at the contact. "So, how are you? You're not hurt are you? Did you beat the alpha? How are Weiss and Blake? And Jaune?" Yang floods Ruby with questions. Trying to get her mind off her crushes head in her boobs.

Ruby looks back up at Yang, seeing the blush. "Yang, are you sure you're Ok? You look warm." Ruby asks, still worried.

"Yeah! I'm fine! Couldn't be better! So how is everyone else?" Yang panics, and tries to change the subject.

"Well, Ok. If you're sure." Ruby says, not totally convinced. "I'm fine. A little tired, but that's expected after using my semblance with my vampire speed for about 5 straight minutes..." Ruby mumbles the last part, knowing she will get in trouble.

"Ruby! You know that hurts you when you use them both at the same time! Especially for such a long period of time! How are you Ok? Do you need some blood, Ruby?" Yang asks, very concerned.

"N-no! I'm fine! You need your rest Yang. I don't need any blood I'm fine!" Ruby's eyes shift away from Yang when she says blood. Yang catches it.

"Ruby? What happened?" Yang asks. Not liking where this is going.

"Well…" Ruby whispers in a small voice. "How much do you remember?" She mumbles, hoping it's not a lot.

"Uhmm…I remember the fall. I rode the raptor down the cliff. It softened the impact, but as soon as we made contact with the rocks I blacked out. I remember waking up. Feeling cold and also numb. I heard a voice calling my name. Was that you Ruby?" Yang asks, looking at her sister.

"It was, I found you washed up on a bank. Is that all?" Ruby says, hoping that the answer is yes.

"I think I remember…seeing something else…" Yang says, trying to grasp at her memories.

' _Oh no! She saw! Please don't tell me she saw me attack them!'_ Ruby panics. But Yang doesn't notice, continuing to look up as she thinks.

"I think I remember… you tearing off a piece of your cape? Ruby, why would you do that? You love that cape. You sometimes sleep in it." Yang asks, hoping it was for her.

"Oh…Well, you were bleeding. And after I used your scarf to wrap up your chest wound I had to use something for your shoulder." Ruby says, starting to blush. She looks down at her feet. "It's…It's just a cape…" She mumbles, embarrassed.

Yang, seeing the blush, blushes herself. But she smiles. "Thanks, sis."

Ruby looks back at Yang. "Of course! It was my fault anyways." Ruby looks away ashamed. "You got hurt because o-…" She gets cut off.

"No, Ruby! Don't beat yourself up for this. Are you kidding?" Yang stops Ruby. "I was just being stupid and careless like always. It's not your fault." Yang looks away, sad, she did this to Ruby.

"Then why do you always do it?!" Ruby yells, starting to cry. "Why do you always charge in so recklessly?! It hurts Yang! Seeing you in that much pain…It hurts." Ruby grabs Yang's hand with both of hers. She puts her forehead against it and starts crying into it. "You…you never worry about yourself! It's always about someone else, Yang! Why can't you take care of yourself, you idiot!?"

Yang grips Ruby's hands tight with her right hand. "I'm sorry…For worrying you. I just don't want to see anyone get hurt." Yang says, in a soft, tired voice.

"And I don't want to see you get hurt!" Ruby yells into her hand. Not caring about what she said, or how it affected Yang.

Yang starts to cry silently. "Ruby…I'm sorry. I hurt you again." Yang can't hide the hiccup from Ruby.

Ruby looks up. Seeing Yang cry. She wraps her arms around Yang again. "You promised, Yang! You have to take care of yourself! For me…Please, for me?" Ruby doesn't remove her head from Yang's shoulder as she continues to cry.

"Yeah…I promised. I won't do it again." Yang says back, holding on tight with the one good arm she has. _'As long as you're safe, that is.'_ Yang won't ever stop putting herself in harm's way, if it's to protect the one she loves. They hold on to each-other for a few more minutes until the crying dies down. Ruby is still shaking in her arm, but she's no longer whimpering anymore.

* * *

"So…How is everyone else?" Yang asks again. It takes a moment for Ruby to respond. Still sniffling.

"Weiss and Blake are fine…Glynda told me that we are on a team with them. With me as leader." Ruby finishes, whipping her eyes off on her sleeve.

"Glynda? You're on a first name basis now?" Yang jokes, curious about what she missed.

"Well…When I brought you back, I talked with Ozpin and her about the initiation." Realization sparks in Ruby's eyes. "Oh yeah! Yang, I unlocked my shadow! That's what we were there for. He says he's going to teach me to use them." Ruby finally has a smile on her face.

"You did?! What's it look like?" Yang asks, excited for Ruby. As well as being happy she's finally smiling again. _'She should never be without that smile.'_

"It looks like dark red vines. They have thorns all over them. They remind me of the rose bushes mom used to take care of in front of the house." Ruby finishes with a big smile.

"Yeah I remember those. You got caught in them one day. You said that they smelled like mom and jumped right in!" Yang says, remembering how funny Ruby looked covered in the vines of roses. _'And beautiful.'_ She's brought out of her thoughts by a high-pitched whine.

"Yaaang! You said you would never bring that up!" Ruby complains. "I just missed mom…" She mumbles, pouting about the embarrassment.

"I know. I miss her too." Yang looks at Ruby smiling. "So…How is Jaune doing? And the rest?"

Ruby looks back, wide eyed. Then looks away. "I…I don't know. I haven't seen anyone since I brought you back." Ruby answered a little ashamed of forgetting her friends.

"Ruby, you need to go see Jaune. I'll be fine. I need to rest anyways." Yang looks at Ruby expectantly.

"Which reminds me. You don't get to train for a month anymore!" Ruby scolds.

"What!?" Yang yells, but instantly regretting it when the pain from her being shocked comes back in her ribs. "Oww…What brought this on?" Yang asks, but her involuntary yelp already told her.

"Consider it punishment for nearly giving me a heart attack! Doctor Williams said that you would be able to walk again, with the assistance of crutches, in a month. So that's how long your punishment will last. And you better not try to train behind my back! If I catch you there will be hell to pay!" Ruby explains. Not backing down one bit.

"Geeze, I get it. I'll be more careful and no training for a month. Ok, 'Mom'? Man I thought I was the older sister?" Yang finishes smiling at Ruby's blush.

"W-well…you better get it! You need your rest. The sooner you're fully healed, the quicker you will be able to start training again." Ruby says, as she blushes, but pushes it down for Yang's sake.

"I got it. But Ruby, you should go see Jaune. He is a friend. And I'm sure he would appreciate the company." Yang finishes, getting serious again.

"I will. You always say the hospital food sucks. Do you want me to pick you something up when I come back?" Ruby asks. Getting up and walking to the door.

"Uhhh…yeah, I could use something to eat… and drink. I could really use some water. If you don't mind?" Yang answers, feeling parched.

"No, I don't mind. I'll be back soon Yang." Ruby waves to Yang as she steps out, and closes the door.

' _There's something she's not telling me…'_ Yang thinks, now that Ruby left.

* * *

 **Just so you know. In Ruby's dream, the voice was telling her to raise Yang as a ghoul. Yes, ghouls exist in this world. It will be explained more later, but I think I would like to tell it through the story, instead of telling you now. That's not what the author note is for. At least, it shouldn't be used like that. Also the Strawberries and Lemons thing I mentioned during the dream is a reference to an author's work on this site. They have been talking to me after every upload. They have an enabler story called Strawberries and Lemons. You should check it out. The writer's name is Blackace70. They do great work. Peace!**


	6. The Ceremony

**Next chapter! This is a good one. Barely over 6000 words, taking second place as longest chapter. More dialogue for people other than Yang or Ruby. They are the main characters, but that doesn't mean others don't exist. xD So the ceremony takes place in this chapter. And this is what the ceremony would be like if there were major injuries during the initiation. There is not a crazy dream in this chapter this time, don't worry! This is a bit of a lighthearted chapter. And if you haven't noticed yet, I have a different cover image for the story! We hit 30 reviews! Thanks guys. So with that, on** **to the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 6: The Ceremony

After Ruby walks out of the room, Yang starts thinking that Ruby seemed a little suspicious. _'There's something she's not telling me. She seemed to get nervous when I mentioned blood…She's probably thirsty, but doesn't want to ask because I'm in this stupid hospital room.'_ Yang huffs. _'I'll just have to tell her it's Ok. I'm sure they gave me a transfusion. I should be fine to give her a little…'_ Yang's thoughts get stopped as the door opens again.

"Well that was fast, Rub-?" Yang gets out before she sees who it is, expecting Ruby.

A man walks in with a doctor's coat on. The same man from before that Yang never saw. Doctor Williams. He walks in smiling at Yang after he shuts the door behind him. "Oh! I see you're up already! That's good to hear." He walks beside the bed. "Where did Ruby run off to? She seemed pretty adamant about never leaving your side." He says, with a laugh at the end.

Yang is puzzled for a second, before realizing he's probably here to check on her. "Oh, well she left to get me some food and see another friend that was hurt. Doctor…?" Yang answers, asking for his name at the end.

"It's Williams…Doctor Williams." He offers his hand to Yang, and she takes it shaking it.

"Ohh…So you're the Doctor that told Ruby I'm not supposed to train for a month." Yang said, gripping a little too tightly on his hand.

"Ow!" He says, as he pulls his hand away, shaking it to relieve the throbbing. "Yes. I am. Yang, you need your rest. It will do you no good to try and train until you're perfectly healed. I'm sure you don't want poor Ruby worrying about you for longer than she needs to. And if you push yourself, you will do more damage to yourself, and it will take even longer to heal than originally."

"But being in a hospital bed sucks!" Yang yells, as she throws her one good arm above her head to state how pent up she already is.

"Yeah, I know." The doctor laughs a little. "Most hunters have the same mentality as you. They would rather be up and about. Fighting to protect what they hold dear. It's admirable. And I want to thank you, for putting your life out there for all of us." He says, with a small smile.

"Well…Thank you for always patching us up when we fall down." Yang says, smiling back.

"Well, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here?" He states.

"Uhm…Is it to run some tests to see if I'm all better?" Yang asks weakly, hoping, but is pretty sure that's not it, considering she has two limbs in a cast.

"No." He gets out with a chuckle, shaking his head at the very hopeful question. Her shoulders sag at the negative. And he laughs again at her response. "I'm here to remove you from one of the ICU's recovery rooms. You're being transferred to another room. Where your friends can see you now."

"Oh. Well that's good to here." Yang says, finally understanding.

"Yes it is, I just have to give you one last check-up, and then we will transfer you." The doctor says, moving over to check her vitals. And check her casts for any abnormalities.

While he checks her over he asks her a question. "So how was Ruby when you woke up?" He said in a small voice.

"Very worried…" Yang answered. "She was pretty upset I hurt myself." Yang looks over at her casts. "And she was beating herself up about how it was her fault."

"Did you tell her to stop?" Doctor Williams asks softly.

"Of course I did. It was my choice to put myself in harm's way." Yang states, flexing her right arm. "It's just the way Ruby is, ya know? Everything is always her fault. She can't let anyone else take the blame." Yang says, somberly.

"Well then, as her older sister. It's your job to make sure she doesn't try to take everyone's burdens by herself. That can kill someone. That much stress on their shoulders, especially someone so young." He says, as he finishes up. Just smiling at her.

"Yeah. You're right. I'm gonna need to talk to her about that." Yang say, looking back up to him, returning the smile. "Well, am I ready to be moved out?" She asks.

"Yep! Let me just go get the gurney and the staff member I left outside. Uh…probably shouldn't have left them out while we were just talking. Oops." He says, rushing to the door.

The attendant comes in, grumbling under their breath. "Thanks, Doctor Williams." He says sarcastically.

"Uh…Sorry, Argent. I just got carried away. She's ready now." The doctor scratches the back of his head, laughing nervously.

"Yeah, I can see that. Let's go. We got a few more on my shift." Argent says, moving the gurney next to Yang's bed. They set her in it, comfortably. And transfer her to her new room.

* * *

Ruby walks out the door to Yang's room and goes back down to the ground floor. Searching for the receptionist she talked to when she walked in the infirmary. She walks up to the desk. "Hello again, Ma'am. I was wondering if you could tell me where Jaune is. He's a friend and he was hurt badly too." Ruby asks.

"Oh! Hello again. I hope your sister is doing well!" The faunus says, smiling. "And let me see…Last name?" She asks, looking back to Ruby.

"Oh, uhm…I don't know his last name. But his injury was a bite to the leg!" Ruby says, hoping it will be enough.

"hmmm…" The lady ponders, while her index finger slides down the list of patients. "Ah! Yes a mister Jaune Arc. He should have been just transferred to a regular visiting area just like your sister."

Ruby interrupts before she gives Ruby the information she came for. "My sister was just transferred?"

"Yes. Your sister should be getting transferred right now. It should be here on her file…" The hippo faunus says, as she scans Yang's file again. "It's room 348 now. Third floor, still on the east wing though. And your friend should be 394. The west wing." She smiles back to Ruby. "Is that all?"

"Yes. Thank you again!" Ruby rushes off in a flurry of rose petals. Excited her sister is no longer in the ICU's recovery room. _'I should still see Jaune first though.'_ And she rushes to the elevator to head to floor three.

She finds room 394 and walks in. The first thing she hears is Nora laughing hysterically. She sees Nora pointing to Jaune while holding her side from the pain from laughing too much.

"HAHAHA…Jaune! You should see your face right now! I can't believe you said that! HAHAHA!" Nora laughs again, falling out of her seat next to a face-palming Ren.

Ruby, wondering what she walked in on, asks them a question. "What happened? What did Jaune say?" Ruby looks to Pyrrha for the answer. Only to see her blushing furiously. And angry, looking at Jaune. She has her fists balled up.

Ruby then looks to Jaune after not getting a response from Pyrrha. He has a huge, red hand print on his face. And he's rubbing it like it hurt. But his eyes look like he's having the time of his life. "Jaune? What happened?" Ruby asks, only to get a response from Ren.

The black haired man sighs. "Jaune said something he shouldn't have to Pyrrha. And Pyrrha responded in turn. He's still on medication so he's not all there yet." Ren then looks over from Jaune to Ruby. "What are you doing her Ruby? Come to check on Jaune's leg?" Ren asks, knowing the answer. Just wanting a change of subject. _'I suppose my other teammates could be worse. It's not like Jaune's like this all the time.'_ He shrugs his shoulders.

"Uhm…yeah. Did I come at a bad time?" Ruby asks, not wanting to get involved.

"Maybe…? I'm sure he appreciates it though." Ren says for Jaune. At this, Jaune finally notices Ruby in the room.

"Hey! Ruby! When did you get here?" Jaune yells, completely forgetting the pain in his face.

"Hey, Jaune. Just now…Uhm, are you Ok?" Ruby answers. Then points to her own face where the mark is on his own.

"Oh, yeah! I feel great! I was just telling Pyrrha how I felt like she was my prince charming coming to rescue me in the woods!" Jaune yells, not a care in the world with how doped up he is right now. The reveal makes Pyrrha blush again. She goes in for another slap, but Ren bolts up to hold her back.

"Easy there! You know he doesn't mean it. He's just loopy!" Ren tries to calm her down. She struggles from his grasp for a bit. Then lets out a puff of hot air.

"Fine…But if he does it again, I won't hold back next time." Pyrrha says, giving Jaune a death stare. He just returns it with a happy smile, like he did no wrong.

Ruby decides to interrupt. "So…How is everyone doing?" Trying to break the tension.

We're all good! We all got some rest last night, except Pyrrha. She couldn't sleep. She said she was too worried about her partner~." Nora answers for everyone, embarrassing Pyrrha at the end.

"Well…I'm sorry, but he could have lost his leg! I was just worried he may never walk again." Pyrrha says, blushing, looking away from Jaune.

"Right…well, how is your sister doing, Ruby?" Ren asks, doubting Pyrrha, then looking to Ruby.

"Uhm…She's fine…Yang's gonna have to take it easy for a while though. The doctor said it could take a month before she can walk again." Ruby answers, looking down at her skirt while she plays with it.

"She's strong. She'll be back on her feet before you know it, Ruby!" Pyrrha says cheerfully, forgetting her anger to try and cheer up her friend.

"Yeah, you're right. It will just take some time." Ruby starts to smile again.

"So how did she take the news about not being able to go to the ceremony?" Pyrrha asks. "Jaune doesn't seem to care any. Even though he's leader." She says, giving him a stern look.

"Oh crap! The ceremony! I forgot to tell her it's today. It stinks they can't come because of their injuries. When is it, again?" Ruby panics, not remembering if she has time to get ready.

"Don't worry it's not until six. You still have over two hours to get ready." Ren says, calming her down.

"Oh...It's already four P.M.? I should probably go explain all this to her though. I had no idea it was that late in the day. I need to tell her why I'll be gone during the ceremony. I should also see if I can find Blake and Weiss. I was made leader of our team!" Ruby says, as she approaches the door to leave.

"Yeah!" Jaune cheers, with his arms extended above his head to go along with the praise. "To the socially awkward!" He yells. Ren and Pyrrha face-palm, while Nora and Ruby just laugh at his goofiness.

"Seeya guys, at the ceremony!" Ruby waves as she leaves.

* * *

Ruby goes to pick up a cheeseburger from Yang's favorite fast food restaurant. She finds a vending machine at the hospital to get Yang a pair of waters, like she asked. She then headed back up to the third floor east wing to search for her sister's new room. She finds room 348, and opens it. She hears mirthful laughter coming from inside as she walks in.

She looks up to see Blake sitting next to Yang. They're both laughing like someone just told a really good inside joke. Ruby sees Yang laughing hard, smiling softly at Blake. At seeing that Ruby gets a funny feeling in her chest. A sharp pain, like someone stabbed her in the back through her heart.

Ruby looks back up at Yang, from clutching her chest, and sees Yang smiling back at Ruby. "Hey, sis! You're back. Did you get me anything?" Yang asks, not seeing anything wrong.

At noticing Yang's smile directed back at her, Ruby's chest stops hurting like it was never there. "Uhm…Yeah right here." Ruby adopts a smile to hide what just occurred. She shows Yang the bag from her favorite restaurant. As well as two water bottles.

"Thanks, Sis!" Yang says as Ruby walks over to put them next to Yang. She looks to Blake, still smiling.

"Hey Ruby. I heard we're on a team together. It should be fun." Blake says, with an honest smile.

"Yeah. It should be…It seems like I'm going to be team leader, though." Ruby informs to Blake, like she wants to gloat. _'That was weird. Why did I say it like that?'_ Ruby thinks, but has no time to ponder it at the sound of someone else behind her.

"Ozpin made **you** leader?! Unbelievable! I have spent my entire life studying to be the perfect leader, and he goes and chooses a 15 year old? I won't accept this!" Weiss yells, having just come in to see her bedridden teammate, only to figure out that her younger partner will be her leader. She storms off to find Ozpin and make him explain.

"Wait! Weiss, come back!" Ruby tries to follow but her cape catches a snag. She looks back to see Yang's good arm grasping it. "Yang, let go! I need to talk to Weiss!"

"No, Ruby. Let her be. She needs to learn on her own, that not everything is just given to her. You know who she is, right? She's **The** , Weiss Schnee of the SDC. She needs to learn that daddy's money doesn't buy her everything." Yang says to Ruby, not letting go of her.

"Yeah, I figured that out. Blake mentioned her being a **Schnee** when we met. I caught on then." Ruby says still struggling. "I should still go talk to her though, she's my partner. I should talk to her about this!" Ruby tries to reason.

"She wants to talk to Ozpin though, so let her talk to him. You know Ozpin, he won't budge. He'll put her in her place." Yang says, knowing a bit more about the headmaster then her and her sister's partners do.

"That's what I'm afraid of! I don't want Weiss to be put in her place! I don't want someone to follow me around without their own thoughts or ideas!" Ruby gets upset thinking about her nightmare. _'Forcing someone to do what you want them to is wrong.'_ Ruby remembers how the voice wanted her to make Yang an obedient slave. "I want her to be a friend. And give me her own input on things. Not just go along with what I say!" Ruby is still tugging on her cape trying to get away, but Yang's not budging.

"I know, Ruby. She'll come around. Just trust in Ozpin…Trust in me. Please?" Yang says in a quiet voice.

It takes a moment for Ruby to think on it, but at seeing Yang's sad face and her plea. Ruby can't say no. "Fine…But you better be right about this!" Ruby says, as she grabs a bottle of water for Yang to drink. She hands it to her, still pouting.

"Thanks sis." Yang says, smiling at Ruby, then takes a drink. Ruby turns back to see Yang smiling again.

' _I can't stay mad at her.'_ Ruby smiles back.

Yang, Ruby, and Blake spend some time to talk about all that's happened so far. Laughing at Jaune being slapped by Pyrrha. Blake heard a rumor that some big, buff guy, named Cardin pissed his pants during the initiation. About an hour went by, and they saw it was almost six.

"Well, we should probably go now. The ceremony starts shortly. Sorry you can't come Yang." Ruby says, getting up. Sad that her sister can't be there on stage getting praised for protecting Blake like a true huntress.

"Don't worry, sis. I'm not going anywhere!" Yang says, with a laugh. "But, seriously. I'll be fine. You should go. Get praised for being the kick-ass leader you are, sis!" Yang cheers, holding a thumbs-up.

Ruby blushes at the praise. "Ok…We'll be back right after. Right, Blake?" Ruby mumbles, then turns to Blake. While they're both at the door.

"Yeah. See you soon Yang." Blake says, giving Yang a nice smile. Ruby waves happily at Yang. They open the door and walk out, only to see Weiss there. Like she was contemplating something. Then she notices the two of them standing with the door open and looks up at them.

"Weiss! You're back! "Ruby says, surprised. Blake and her step out and close the door behind her.

"Uhm…Yes. I am. I just got back from talking to Ozpin." Weiss says.

* * *

Weiss just left the visitors room. Marching out of the infirmary towards Beacon Tower to have a talk with Ozpin. She had a scowl on her face. Her fists clenching, looking like she was ready to tear someone apart, limb from limb. Everyone in her way promptly steps to the sides. Afraid of what she might do to them if they interrupted her. _'I can't believe Ozpin made_ _ **her**_ _leader! Who else better to be leader than someone who is to control the biggest company on Remnant?'_ She thinks, infuriated.

Weiss steps into the elevator to his office. She presses the top floor button, and the doors slide closed. The elevator dings a few moments later and she steps out into the office of the headmaster of Beacon Academy. Ozpin sits at his desk, messing with the holographic screen on his desk. He looks up at the sound of her heels clacking towards him.

"Miss Schnee? I was not expecting you?" Ozpin says, lying.

"And I was not expecting to have to be led by a child!" Weiss belts out. Her anger not tempered at all, by the walk over here.

"You're referring to Miss Rose, then?" Ozpin fakes not understanding.

"Of course! Why would you choose her?! I'm to be leading the biggest company this world has ever seen, and what? You don't think I can handle a small group of kids?!" Weiss continues to bite his head off with the yelling.

' _Oh geeze here we go. Another Schnee that thinks they are the best at everything.'_ Ozpin thinks, chuckling in his head at the last Schnee he told off.

"I chose her, because she took command during the initiation. She knew what to do in the face of danger. She didn't hesitate for an instant, and even had a plan to enact before any of you knew what was happening." Ozpin sighs, pinching his nose in stress building up. "A leader in business doesn't have to respond on the fly like one does on the battlefield. It took you far longer to calm down and think rationally than it did for Miss Rose. In terms of leadership on your team, you are second best. It's that simple, Miss Schnee."

Weiss was stunned. No one had ever talked to her like that. Maybe her father and sister, but that's because they are also Schnees. No one, besides her family, had ever said she was second best, to anyone. She would be mad, if his points weren't exactly right. Ruby was on top of everything that was going on around them. They only made it out alive because of her. If it was Weiss, she would have been too hesitant. And that hurt her pride. Weiss was still trying to wrap her head around it all. Not hearing Ozpin's voice again.

"Miss Schnee…? Miss Schnee?" Ozpin said, a second time when he received no response the first. She looked back at him, then shook her head frantically.

"Uhmm…Sorry sir…I guess I just needed a minute, to process…" Weiss answers, still thinking.

"It's quite alright. But you shouldn't apologize to me. I believe there is someone else that is more deserving." Ozpin gestures back in the direction of the infirmary.

"H-how did you know about that?" Weiss asks puzzled, considering he wasn't there.

"Lucky guess…" He says shrugging. Well that explains it. _'Schnees never take this kind of news well. Always blowing up in someone's face.'_

"Give her a chance, Weiss. That's all I'm asking. She proved herself in the forest didn't she?" Ozpin asks, using her first name this time. Trying to level with her.

"I suppose…I could give her a chance. Provided she listens to advice!" Weiss says, still not happy about the arrangement.

"Well, that's for you two to work out. You should talk to her. I believe you still have some time before the ceremony." Ozpin suggests.

"Yes sir. And I'm sorry, for yelling at you." Weiss actually bows with the apology. Ozpin is legitimately surprised to see a Schnee bowing, to anyone.

' _Well, that's a new one. A Schnee that shows true regret. I think we're going to get along, Weiss. I was worried before.'_ Ozpin thinks, a smile working its way on his face.

"That's alright, Weiss. I don't hold your behavior against you. I know how overbearing your father can be. So it's no problem." Ozpin says.

"You know my father?" Weiss asks, looking back up.

"I do. We have met once or twice. But your father's not here at this school Weiss. You can let your guard down a bit. Especially with your friends." He explains, trying to get her to open up.

"I…Will try that sir. Thank you." Weiss says, as she turns towards the elevator. Only to be stopped by Ozpin's voice.

"Are you sure you're a Schnee? A 'thank you' and 'I'm sorry' in the same day from a Schnee is unheard of." Ozpin says, with a smile. Weiss turns around to see his smile. Her lips curve up a small amount in turn.

"You're right professor, but maybe I don't want people to see a Schnee as someone who thanks themselves above everyone. I am not my father." Weiss says, with true certainty.

"It would appear you are not. I'll see you at the ceremony, Weiss. Hopefully, not with your team, but with your friends." Ozpin takes a drink from his mug filled with dark liquid.

"Yes, professor Ozpin. I'll see you then." Weiss takes her leave and heads back to the infirmary. Hoping to talk with Ruby about the fight.

* * *

"I talked with Ozpin. And he made me realize that you would make an excellent leader, Ruby. So…I'm sorry, for yelling at you. I was out of line and I was wrong." Weiss says, with her head, unusually brought down in apology.

"Wow…" Is all Blake says, her eyes wide with disbelief of a Schnee actually serious about an apology.

"Oh! It's fine Weiss! I wanted to talk to you anyways." Ruby says to Weiss, trying to get her to raise her head back up. She then looks to Blake.

"Blake, do you mind if me and Weiss have some time together to talk?" Ruby asks, not wanting to be rude.

"Uhm, sure, Ruby. That's fine. Just don't be late for the ceremony." Blake says, after she shakes her shock off from the heiress' apology, then takes her leave, towards the auditorium.

Weiss looks up at Ruby, disbelieving of being forgiven already. "You…forgive me? Just like that? But I yelled at you and made fun of your immaturity. How can you just forgive like that?" Weiss is truly baffled by the red clad girl.

"It's no big deal! I am 15, so I know I still have a lot to learn. And I'm sure you were just tired. Besides, you did apologize. So I know you are really sorry. There's no since holding a grudge for something so small." Ruby hugs Weiss. "It's fine. I forgive you. Now let's get to the ceremony before we're late!" Ruby takes Weiss' hand. Weiss blushes at all the contact, and before she can say anything, Ruby takes off with her semblance, down the hall towards the ceremony.

* * *

They make it with plenty of time to spare, thanks to Ruby. They prepare for the ceremony. Putting on their new school uniforms. And lining up to be presented as teams.

"Nora Valkrie, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, and Jaune Arc. Unfortunately, like many others, Mister Arc suffered an injury during the initiation and is still recovering. He couldn't make it to the ceremony, but he will still make his friends and family proud when he recovers. This team of exceptional hunters will be, Team JNPR. Led by…Jaune Arc." Ozpin announces and uproarious applause breaks out at the announcement of another team of hunters to protect this world. The clapping dies down and Team NPR walks off the stage.

"Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose, and Yang Xiao Long. Yang Xiao Long is also out due to injury, but Miss Xiao Long is a very courageous huntress. And no injury will keep her down for long." Ozpin declares, the last part he says while he gives a small smile to Ruby. She starts to cry, but wipes it away. "This team will be, Team RWBY. Led by…Ruby Rose." More applause from the crowd. Everyone forgetting or not aware of the threat that looms over the city of Vale and the other Kingdoms.

* * *

The three girls from team RWBY that were present for the ceremony walk back to Yang's room to give her the good news.

"Hey, Guy's! How was the ceremony?" Yang asks, as they walk in to see her. Ruby dives on to the unhurt side of her sister. Careful of her cracked ribs as well. Weiss and Blake takes seats next to Ruby, smiling at their antics.

"It went great! Well, as well as it could have been without you there." Ruby says, scratching her cheek, looking away.

"Awww…did you miss me, sis?" Yang teases Ruby, but happy she missed her.

"Well, yeah. Of course I missed you! Nothing's ever the same without you, sis." Ruby starts blushing at what she admitted.

Yang can't help the blush either, but smiles trying to hide it. It works. The other members of her team being really poor at social signs, as well as not knowing Yang and Ruby well enough yet, don't catch on. "So what's the team name called?" Yang asks. Weiss and Blake face-palm. "That bad?" Yang asks.

"It's Team RWBY!" Ruby yells, excited it's her name.

"Well that's going to get confusing." Yang deadpans. Followed by an, "Exactly", from the monochrome duo.

"Well, you are team leader. I guess it makes sense. Speaking of which…" Yang trails off, looking at Weiss.

"What?" Weiss asks, not understanding.

"Are you going to have a problem, taking orders from my sister?" Yang asks, staring down the heiress. Even for her being bedridden, Yang is still pretty intimidating when she wants to be.

Ruby interrupts, wanting to diffuse the situation. "No, sis! We already worked it out. She apologized and I accepted it. We don't have a problem anymore."

Ruby then looks to Weiss. "Right, Weiss?" Making sure.

"Right…Your sister will make an excellent leader. I can't deny that." Weiss says, affirming Ruby's thought.

"Well, Ok then." Yang says, easing up on her intimidation. "So, what else happened?" She asks.

"We can go see our dorm room now." Blake brought up.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me. We have to decide who sleeps in which room." Weiss says, looking to Ruby since she is the leader.

"What do you mean?" Yang didn't hear anything about dorm rooms since she's been in the infirmary the entire time.

"Oh, right. You've been in here." Ruby gestures to the visiting room. "Our dorm room is huge Yang! It's like an apartment! It has two big bedrooms. Each has enough space to fit two people living comfortably. We also have our own kitchen and living room!"

"Wow. Why are we so special?" Yang has a feeling she knows why. And she's standing right in front of her.

"That's the thing! It's not just us. Beacon Academy has rooms like this for everyone!" Ruby yells, so excited to not be in a cramped dorm room.

"Did you two even read the brochure before coming to Beacon? It says that with the tuition paid, we also get free room and board." Weiss starts explaining. Pulling out random brochures to throw at the unprepared sisters. "It says that the dorm rooms consist of two bedrooms, each with their own bathrooms. A kitchen stocked with cookware, as well as a washing and drying set for our clothes in the corner. And a living room with a nice couch and a sixty inch hologram TV. There's a reason Beacon Academy is so prestigious and sought after."

"Wow…This place is nicer than home!" Yang says, finally able to pick up her jaw off the ground.

"You're right. It's amazing, but we still haven't figured out who sleeps in which room." Ruby says, looking at everyone. She notices them all looking at her.

"Well, you are the leader. How do you want to handle this?" Blake finally asks.

"Uhm…Put it to a vote?" Ruby squeaks out.

"That's acceptable." Weiss pitches in. Then the rest follow.

"Alright…How about…Me and Yang in one room and Blake and Weiss in the other? Raise your hand if you're in favor." Ruby says, raising her hand.

Yang raises her right hand. "We are sisters. Might as well be together." Blake and Weiss keep their hands down.

"So it's a tie?" Ruby deflates.

"Well, not necessarily." Weiss adds. "I didn't vote because I don't have a problem with either option. Blake why didn't you vote?"

"I thought we could do partners. It makes since right? We're supposed to get to know each-other. So might as well be in the same living space if we have the option." Blake answers reasonably, without bias. Even though there is a pull that Blake feels towards Yang that she can't explain.

"That does make since. I'm fine with that option." Weiss says as she keeps her hand down. "How about a re-vote? This time raise your hand for partners." Weiss raises her hand, followed by Blake. Ruby and Yang keep their hands down.

"A tie again?" Ruby says, glumly. "Wait, I got it! Since I'm the leader, I get two votes!" Ruby says, as she throws her hands up in celebration.

"Well, alright. That seems acceptable as well. Sorry roomy." Weiss says to Blake, smiling a bit.

"Sure. I can deal with that." Blake says smirking back. _'Well, I wouldn't say that this is a disaster. Weiss is clearly not like her family. So it should be fine. I just still don't feel comfortable revealing myself to them yet.'_

Ruby and Yang high-five. Then Ruby remembers something. "Oh, that's right. You don't get to move in yet. I'm sorry Yang." Ruby frowns.

"Don't worry about it. We have the same room, so you can unpack for me. It won't be long until I can move around. I'm not staying here for a month! I'll be in crutches by two weeks!" Yang says, to cheer Ruby up.

"Ok! Well let's get going guys! We have our stuff to unpack. And classes tomorrow!" Ruby throws her fist up in the air, walking towards the door with Weiss and Blake behind her. "Banzai!" She shouts it again, and everyone but Weiss chants with her. They look at her.

"What? I'm not shouting that. It's childish." Weiss crosses her arms and looks away from them. Everyone but Yang at the door already.

Ruby laughs at Weiss being pouty, then looks to Yang. "We'll see you tomorrow, Yang! After classes we'll come back to see you." Ruby tells her, smiling to ensure her.

"You bet! See you tomorrow, guys!" Yang says, smiling as they all give her a wave. They close the door behind them as the step out. Leaving Yang alone in the room. Her smile drops to a frown.

"Ughh…This sucks. This is going to be a long few weeks." She says out loud. _'I miss her already.'_

* * *

 **Loopy Jaune is a lot of fun. He gets hurt a lot. And physical humor is very funny to me. Maybe I'm a sadist, who knows? And poor Yang! She has to wait in bed everyday for weeks before she can walk again. But her spirit isn't broken. She's going to try her hardest to recover faster. And Weiss had a hiccup on being a bitch again. But she came around. She needs to get used to being on equal level with her peers. She's used to either being above other people or being bossed around by her dad. So that's going to take some time to get used to.**

 **Anyways. Review if you have any questions. Like, what danger is looming over the Kingdoms? That's a good one. Take it easy guys! And keep moving forward.**


	7. Moving In

**Next chapter! The girls get situated in their dorms! They meet their RA for the dormitories, they might be someone related to someone familiar. *wink* RA stands for resident assistant. Basically a person who helps out with issues while you stay in the dorms. Like something breaking or rowdy neighbors, Nora! xD We're almost at 100 follows! You guys are blowing me away with how awesome you are! I mean it, thank you!**

 **Now on to the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Moving In

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake all make their way toward the first and second year dormitories. They head in the doorway and see a man at the desk right at the entrance. _'This must be our RA.'_ Weiss thinks. She gives Ruby a look, then nudges her forward toward the desk.

"Well, go on. You are the leader after all." Weiss says, giving Ruby a small devious smile.

Ruby looks back at Weiss funny, wondering what she is talking about. She looks forward again, and sees the man stand up with a small smile, directed at her. He's a broad shouldered man, easily over six feet tall. Short brown hair and blue eyes. Chiseled jaw line. If Ruby was into dudes, she would say that he was a fine male specimen. And that huge demeanor scared Ruby.

She has improved, immensely so, at talking to new people. Like Jaune, and Weiss, back before she knew she was the heiress to the SDC, so she can handle a normal person fairly easy, but it stands to reason why a person with such physical stature might intimidate her, a little.

He doesn't notice her shaking in fear, and simply introduces himself. "Hey, my name's Granite Winchester. You guys look like first years, is that right?" The man, now known as Granite, asks.

Weiss nudges Ruby on the shoulder again, getting her attention. When Ruby looks back at Weiss, Weiss directs Ruby with her index finger pointing back to Granite. Giving her a nod with her head towards the man. _'If she's to be leader, she needs to get used to talking to people she's not comfortable with. A leader shouldn't be intimidated at having to simply speak to someone.'_ Weiss thinks, as she rolls her eyes at Ruby's shaking. Weiss steps forward, much to Ruby's relief, and introduces herself.

"Yes, that is correct. We were told to get settled in our new dorms. My name is Weiss Schnee, it's a pleasure." She says, holding out her hand for him to shake.

His eyes go wide for a split second at her last name. Then he simply takes her hand and shakes it softly. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Schnee. I'll be your RA for the first year while you stay in this dorm. If you have any questions or need anything, don't hesitate to ask. That goes for all of you." He says, as he looks at the three of them, smiling. He then gestures to follow him. "If you'll follow me, I can show you to your dorm room now. Your things should already be inside, ready for you to unpack." He says as he walks toward the stairs. They follow behind him up the stairs to the second floor.

"I'm sorry for the extra trouble, but the elevator is busted for now. We called the on-campus staff already, but they have yet to show. But your dorm room is only on the second floor, so it shouldn't be too much trouble." He says over his shoulder as they make it to the second floor.

They continue down the corridor, following behind the house of a man. And he speaks up again. "I'm a senior by the way. All RA's are. It's our job to foresee that the new generation is comfortable in their new environment. I have a little brother that took the initiation this year same as you. If you met him already, I apologize in his stead."

Granite stops and sighs. He turns around to look at them. He has a humorous smile on his face. "Cardin, the meat head, can be a bit of an ass sometimes. He never learns, so if he does something to you, come to me and I'll handle him if you don't feel the need to yourself." He laughs.

"We haven't seen him yet, but I heard a rumor that he wet himself during the initiation." Blake speaks up, finally talking as the uncomfortableness is lifted from his joking demeanor. They start walking again as Granite laughs, holding his gut.

"Oh my, Oum! Really? Man, I'm never letting him live that down! Hahaha!" He wipes a tear away from his face, and continues on. "I heard this year's initiation was tough but wow!" He calms down and turns his head back towards them again. "That reminds me. Is that the reason you seem one team member short? Someone get hurt?" He asks softly.

"M-my…si-sister. She fell during the initiation." Ruby says, whispering. Finally getting the courage to speak at the reminder of her sister. She looks up at him sadly.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know I wouldn't be taking it very well if it was Cardin that was hurt." He says, turning forward again as they keep walking. "He make be a dick sometimes, but he's still my little brother." Granite gets out softly. "Is she doing Ok? Your sister?" He says, looking back to her.

"She will be…With time. She broke her left arm and leg from the drop." Ruby whispers, as tears start building at the edges of her eyes, but she pushes them back. Shaking her head, she smiles up at him. "She's strong. She'll be Ok!"

"Yeah, but you gotta be strong for her too. She needs her little sister. I would know." He says, smiling at her encouragingly.

Blake puts a comforting hand on Ruby's shoulder. Ruby looks over at her to see Blake smiling softly back at her.

"Well, this is it! Here's your new dorm room." Granite says, gesturing to the door he stopped in front of. "Your new scrolls you should have received after initiation also work as the key to your room." He says, pulling out his own. "You just wave the back of it near this panel beside the door and it should open right up." Ruby steps up, with her scroll out. She tries it, and with a beep the light above the panel turns green. Signifying the door is unlocked. They walk in to see the living room area right at the door. They turn back to Granite, when he starts talking again.

"Your neighbors across the hall haven't shown up yet, either. I believe they also had a teammate injured in the initiation." He gives a small frown at all the hurt people from just the test to get in and shakes his head. But then picks up a smile like it never occurred. "Make sure to say hi to them. You never know who you might end up being great friends with." He takes his leave waving over his head as he walks back down stairs. "Take care! I'll see you tomorrow."

"Take care." The three girls give out. Some more enthusiastic than others. They walk in to see the rest of the dorm they will be spending the next two years of their time at Beacon.

* * *

"Wow…This place is really nice." Blake says, taking in the lush carpet and nice black couch, parked in front of the holo-TV.

"Yes, it is rather nice for a school that has to provide for so many people." Weiss says, not entirely impressed like the others.

"And to think! The third and fourth year's dorms are said to be even better!" Ruby agrees, running around checking out every inch of the living room and kitchen, even before her teammates have a chance. In the corner of the living room is everyone's belongings that she narrowly misses tripping on, on her way out of the kitchen. The suitcases and traveling gear are all put up against the island that separates the kitchen from the living room. She then flops down on the sofa with her boots still on.

"No, Ruby! Either you get off the couch, or your boots do! They are filthy!" Weiss yells at Ruby, pointing away from the couch to demonstrate what she wants her to do.

"Awww…Fine." Ruby mumbles, kicking her boots off. She drops them to the ground and is about to get more comfortable on the couch when she looks back to Weiss, noticing her anger hasn't changed.

"You can't leave them on the floor! Take them to your room! Why am I having to explain this to you? Do you live in a barn?!" Weiss gets ready to swat at her with a newspaper she seemed to pull out of nowhere. She was stopped by Blake, who grabbed her hand as she picked it up.

"Weiss, calm down. Maybe we should go over some rules of the house before you start swatting our leader." Blake reasons, not amused by Weiss' lack of restraint right now.

Weiss takes a deep breath and calms down. Releasing the breath as a sigh. "Perhaps you're right, Blake. I'm sorry Ruby, for…trying to swat at you." She frowns at how ridiculous that sounded. Swatting at Ruby like some kind of misbehaving dog.

"It's Ok, Weiss. I shouldn't have been so excited and got the new couch dirty." Ruby mumbles as she pushes her index fingers together, worried. "I think Blake is right, maybe some ground rules would do us some good!" Ruby picks back up in spirit, smiling at Blake for the idea. Blake smiles back at Ruby.

"Ok, so what first?" Blake asks them both.

"Well first, no shoes on the furniture, or jumping on the furniture! Agreed? Weiss states, as more of a fact than actually asking for someone to agree.

"Yeah, that's fine." Ruby says, then grips her chin and looks up in thought, with her tongue sticking out. "How about…knocking before entering? That's a good one!" Ruby says, thinking it would be bad for Yang and her to be feeding when Weiss or Blake walks in.

"Why? You expect to have a hot date or something, Ruby?" Blake asks smiling, not serious. But then at seeing Ruby's face heating up and her turning away, she thinks maybe she was serious. Her eyes go wide. "Oh! Sorry Ruby! I was just kidding." Blake apologizes, shaking her hands, trying to take back what she said. She blushes as well. "It's a good rule! I second that. It could also work for when we are in the bathrooms!"

"Thanks, Blake. And no, I don't have a date or anything. I just thought that we could use some privacy sometimes." Ruby mumbles again. Looking at anything, but the other two, still blushing.

"You guys are unbelievable…" Weiss whispers to herself. "I agree. It is a good rule to have. Now, what about food? Does anyone here know how to cook?" Weiss asks, looking at the other two, waiting for a response.

"Uh…Does baking count?" Ruby innocently asks. While holding up a finger, to show her input.

"I don't think so, Ruby." Blake says, smiling at her. "I don't know how to cook either. Nothing but basic stuff, like eggs." She finishes, shrugging. The White Fang had their own faunus chefs that prepared food in the mess hall. At remembering that, Blake's eyes widened. "Oh! That's right! Beacon has a cafeteria that prepares food. We could just eat there." Blake mentions, thinking she solved the problem completely. But she forgot about a picky heiress.

"I…don't know about that, Blake. I suppose we can try it, but I doubt their food is very acceptable." Weiss says, very doubtful about cafeteria food.

"You haven't tried the cafeteria, yet? What about before the initiation? What did you have for breakfast?" Blake asks, in return.

"I had a helper deliver something from a nice restaurant I like." Weiss says, proudly. Then deflates at the problem not being solved. She can't order for everyone every night. Blake especially would never be able to live that down. Being fed by a Schnee. "I can't cook very well either…I hate to ask, but what about the brute?" She asks Ruby, now looking at her.

"Uhm…well she does cook at the house back on Patch. That's where we lived." Ruby says, answering the unasked question for them. "As for if she's any good, I don't know. She's not terrible." Ruby answers, lying. She never tried Yang's cooking. There was no need and it would have just upset her stomach, eating human food.

"I suppose we have to make do with the cafeteria until your sister is well again. Then we can try her food." Weiss says back, not noticing the relieved expression on Ruby's face from not being caught.

"So, how about bedtimes?" Weiss asks the other two for input. "I would like to set the time for lights and noise out to be around ten P.M. every night for the weekdays. Is that acceptable?"

Blake just shrugs her being Ok with it. Weiss looks to Ruby then.

"Uh…Well I don't have a problem with it, but Yang might. She likes to go out a lot. We will have to talk to her about this stuff tomorrow." Ruby explains.

"I suppose you're right. That should do for now. We can think of other things we may have missed, tomorrow with Yang." Weiss says, as she walks to the kitchen to give it an inspection. Making sure the faucet runs. Checking the cupboards for the cookware. And seeing if the refrigerator is stocked at all. She opens it and sees nothing inside. Completely spotless. She sighs. "Well that figures. They do have their own cafeteria."

Weiss closes it and goes back to the living room to continue the tour with her teammates. "Let's go check out our rooms." She says, and walks to the hallway that is between the living room and kitchen, dividing them. It runs perpendicular to the entrance to the dorm. And at the end are two doors on each side of the small hallway that go to the separate rooms. One room next to the living room and one beside the kitchen.

* * *

Ruby and Blake, who followed Weiss, watch as Weiss opens up the door on the kitchen side. They step inside and look around at the spacious interior. Two beds, on the opposite side of the door, both Queen sized, covered in white sheets with a red comforter laying over them. Two pillows on each bed. All of it neatly placed together. Between them is a nightstand, with a reading lamp on it. On the wall farthest from both the kitchen and living room, two walk-in closets and matching drawers for their underwear and socks. On the wall with the door, sits two twin desks for studying. They both have a pad to plug a scroll into to project the scroll image bigger, to turn it into a full computer. On the desk directly in front of the pad, a wireless keyboard that is connected to the pad through wireless means. In the center of the room are two chairs that are facing the wall that is blocking the view to the kitchen. On that wall is a forty inch holo-TV, placed in front of the two solid black leather chairs. Not more than a foot away from the chairs is a coffee table sitting on a nice red rug. On the same wall, near the beds, is another door. Presumably the bathroom.

They scan the area, noticing how expensive and impressive the room is. Thinking that it looks very well put together, even Weiss. "Not bad." She admits out loud. The other two just look at her like she grew a second head. She notices them staring. "What? It's a pretty good room. Isn't it?"

"Pretty good!? This room is amazing! We didn't have closets this big in our **home**!" Ruby says zipping in and out of it. She then zooms over to the door they hadn't checked yet. She opens it up and sees the bathroom. A big shower stall, with a semi-transparent curtain, is in the back. Then a toilet next to the shower separated by A small wall to give someone privacy. Then finally the sink, which has the toilet in-between the sink and shower. A big mirror, inlayed to the wall separating the bathroom from the kitchen, is above the sink. Everything is spotless like it's brand new. She gives out a low whistle, then she rushes over to the beds. She jumps on one to feel its softness. She melts right into it. To Weiss' relief, Ruby still had her shoes off.

"That bed is yours, Blake!" Weiss yells, gesturing to the one Ruby is snuggling in to.

"Whatever." Blake says, shrugging. Truly not caring. She has a small smile at seeing Ruby so happy, rolling around on the bed. _'She's such a child.'_ Blake thinks, with a chuckle being audible.

"What's so funny?" Weiss asks, putting her hand on her hips and arching an eyebrow towards Blake.

"Just her." She says with a smirk, pointing to Ruby. Weiss turns back to Ruby to watch her. Eventually she also adopts a small smile, watching the secret vampire roll into a cocoon made of bed sheets.

Weiss gets serious again, and calls out to Ruby. "Ruby come on. We have to see the other room." The only reply is an, "Ok" from the redhead, as she jumps from the bed and is already in the hallway, her hand on the handle to the other room, waiting for the others to come see with her. They walk up to their leader and she opens the door. They see a mirror image of the last room, reflected by the hallway. Everything exactly as the last room, only flipped.

"Well, I guess that's to be expected." Blake says to the other two. "How about we go get unpacked and call it a night?"

"That sounds acceptable." Weiss says. She then glances at her scroll to see the time. It says 8:43 PM. "That shouldn't be too late to unpack, then get ready for bed." Weiss says to herself.

"Alright, well I'll get started on mine and Yang's stuff." Ruby says, as she bolts back to the living room to starts hurtling things into her and Yang's room. Not much is theirs, compared to Weiss'. A few suitcases between herself and yang. Weiss has about five white suitcases of varying sizes. Three big dress covers filled with multiple dresses each, and a trunk filled with her shoes. Blake and Weiss move into the living room to follow their leader, and unpack. Blake sees the cargo of the heiress.

"Really, Weiss? You needed all of this?" Blake says gesturing to the pile of luggage. She lifts up her single average sized suitcase and starts to take it to their room. They all here a thump outside in the hallway of the dormitory. They walk towards the exit, Blake having already deposited her own suitcase in her room, and hear familiar voices. One shouting 'Nora'. With that, they walk out to see Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora at the opposite door of the hallway. Ren is on the ground with Nora on top of him, straddling his back. Pyrrha is hiding a laugh behind her hand.

"Uh, did we miss something?" Ruby says, as she takes in the scene.

"Hmhm...No, nothing at all! We were just about to see our new dorm room." Pyrrha answers, laughing at first because of Nora.

"Hey, guys! I guess this makes us neighbors!" Nora says, as she swipes her scroll across the panel, after getting up from Ren. The door opens and Ruby sees another mirror effect from across the hall, when she glimpses into their dorm room.

"Oh great. I can't wait." Weiss says, sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Me neither!" Ruby yells, totally missing the sarcasm.

"Well, we would love to chat, but it's getting late and we both need time to unpack and settle in. So I guess we'll see you tomorrow?" Blake says, not wanting to be rude, but they all need to go to bed soon. And they still haven't begun to unpack.

"That sounds grand! Maybe we can see each-other at breakfast tomorrow?" Pyrrha says, as Ren and Nora walk in to see their new dorm.

"Yeah! Sounds good!" Ruby throws her fist into the air to show her excitement.

They all exchange good-byes and head to their own dorms to unpack and settle in.

* * *

Ruby rushes off to her room to start to unpack. Blake walks towards her and Weiss' room to unpack her single suitcase. Weiss walks over to her pile, next to the kitchen island and starts to lift the smallest of the suitcases. She struggles with it, but gets it up off the ground. She starts to walk to the bedroom, only to see Blake coming back from said room, smiling.

"Need some help roomy?" Blake asks, the smile becoming a smirk. Weiss smiles back.

"Thanks, Blake." She says to Blake, as Blake goes back for one of Weiss' heavier ones.

"Don't…mention it." Blake gets out, as she lifts up the heavier suitcase with less struggle, but still showing difficulty.

"Oh! Here let me help you guys!" Ruby comes jogging down the hallway at hearing them struggle. She picks up the huge trunk of shoes like it weighs thirty pounds. When it actually weighs closer to one hundred. She tosses it onto her shoulder then lugs it to Weiss' and Blake's room. The others are astonished by the little redhead.

"How are you so strong?!" Weiss shrieks out, still struggling with her fifty pound suitcase. Ruby turns around at the noise Weiss makes.

"I fight with Crescent Rose, remember?" Ruby says, smiling cheekily at Weiss, and gives her a wink before she turns back around to continue down the hall to drop off the trunk. As Ruby turns the corner to enter her friends' bedroom, Weiss mumbles.

"Dolt…" She blushes, embarrassed, and then shakes her head and smiles softly. She hears snickering behind her, and turns to it to see Blake hiding a laugh behind her hand. "Oh shut-up, Blake!"

Blake continues to laugh. "I didn't say anything…" She gets out as she just smirks at Weiss again. Weiss mumbles something incoherently to herself and continues struggling with the same suitcase. She feels the luggage get lighter, and she turns back around to see that Blake has the other end, holding it up, while putting hers on her back to carry it over her shoulder. "Here. Let me help you." Blake says smiling at her.

Weiss turns around, away from Blake. "Thank you…" She whispers out, embarrassed, still blushing.

Blake hears it, thanks to her faunus hearing. "No problem, roomy." She says, softly. Weiss smiles as they reach the room.

With the help of Ruby, they get the rest of Weiss' luggage in the room in a few minutes. Ruby then goes back to her own room to continue unpacking. Using her semblance, she makes quick work of her and Yang's stuff. Filling each closet with their clothes and putting away their shampoo and other body care products in the bathroom. Ruby places a Beowolf plushy that Yang won her one time at a carnival on her own bed.

' _Wolfy. I just can't seem to get rid of him. I've had him for, what? 7 years?'_ Ruby picks him back up and hugs him close to her chest. She starts thinking of Yang. _'It would be wrong to get rid of him. Yang won him for me, after all.'_ She thinks, smiling at the memory.

* * *

 **She and Yang went to a carnival on Patch that is held every year when she was eight. They got separated from Summer and Tai, who went with them. But Yang wasn't afraid, and her not being afraid, as well as holding on to her older sister's hand, gave Ruby the courage to continue on. While searching for their parents, Ruby saw a Beowolf plushy on one of the racks of a carnival game as a prize on display. She tugged on Yang's ten year old hand. And when she looked to her, she pointed at the plushy.** _"Yang, look! Isn't he cute?!"_ **eight year old Ruby said, tugging on Yang's hand to get closer.**

" _ **Cute? It's a Beowolf, Ruby. There's nothing cute about a creature of Grimm."**_ **Yang said dismissing it.**

 **Ruby tugged again, toward the carnival stall. Wanting Yang to get it for her.** _"Please, Yang!? For me?"_ **Yang looks down to Ruby again and sees the most adorable silver eyes, on the verge of tears, along with pouting lips. She later refers to this as the puppy dog pout. It works of course. Yang still hasn't built up an immunity to it yet.**

" _ **Ugh…Alright Ruby. But this is your birthday present this year, from me."**_ **Yang agrees, and Ruby jumps for joy, finally able to get the plushy.**

" _Thanks, Yang!"_ **They walk over to the stall and Yang spends the money she brought with her, to win the plushy. The game was the bottle game. The vender gave Yang three balls to throw at the stack of bottles. And she had to knock them all down. It took Yang several tries, but after six attempts and 24 lien, all but 2 lien Yang had with her, Yang had won Ruby the plushy. When the vender gave the plushy to Ruby she hugged it tightly, then gave Yang a kiss on the cheek for being the best big sister ever. Shortly after that, Summer and Tai found the kids hugging.**

* * *

At remembering the kiss, Ruby blushed and held the plushy tighter. She smiled at the memory. It was then interrupted by a knock at the door. Ruby promptly fell over, being startled. "Oof…Oww…Man, why am I so clumsy?" She mumbles to herself. She gets back up and opens the door to see Blake standing there giving her a questioning look, a brow arching up.

"Did I interrupt something?" Blake asks, her bow twitches. Ruby sees it, but thinks nothing of it. Passing it off as the air-conditioning.

"Just a memory…What's up?" Ruby mumbles the first part.

"Weiss and I just finished unpacking, she's finishing up in the bathroom, I came over here to say goodnight." At this, Ruby noticed Blake was in a robe like outfit. A kimono. Still wearing her bow, even to bed. She then glances at the clock on the wall of her bedroom to see what time it was. Clearly it was later than she thought, if Weiss had finished unpacking now. She was right to think so. Glancing at the clock it was now 10:13 PM.

"Oh! It's past ten. I guess I lost track of time. Thanks, Blake! Goodnight! And tell Weiss I said goodnight as well." Ruby says, smiling. Blake says goodnight back and walks back to her room. Ruby closes the door and goes back to her bed. She picks up Wolfy again, and hugs him. _'I miss her already.'_ She then goes into the bathroom with a change of bed clothes, and prepares for bed. She showers and changes. She turns off the light, then slips under her covers, holding Wolfy tightly. _'See you tomorrow, sis.'_ Ruby falls to peaceful slumber.

* * *

Blake walks back to her room after telling Ruby goodnight. She sees Weiss walk out of the bathroom in her nightgown. Weiss walks to her bed and gets in it.

"Blake, can you get the light?" Weiss asks, already comfortable in bed. She puts her scroll down on the nightstand between them after setting the alarm for 6:30 AM.

"Sure." Blake, having just walked in to the room, simply turns around and flips the light switch. She walks over to her bed with no trouble thanks to her faunus eyes. She follows after Weiss and gets comfortable.

"Our first class starts at 8:30 tomorrow. I set the alarm for 6:30. That should be enough time to get ready and get some food. And for the speed demon to see her sister tomorrow." Weiss informs, smiling afterwards.

"That sounds good…Hey, Weiss?" Blake says, then with a quiet voice of uncertainty, asks a question.

"Yes, Blake?" Weiss answers back, in a quiet voice, already starting to fall asleep.

"What…What do you think of Yang?" She asks, nervous Weiss might catch on as to why.

"The brute? Well…She's a good fighter, I suppose. And I think she's a very nice sister, if a little doting on Ruby. Why do you ask?" Weiss asks back, curious as to what brought this on.

"Mmmh…No reason." Blake smiles softly, blushing, knowing she can't be seen by Weiss in the darkness. "Goodnight, Weiss."

"Goodnight, Blake." Weiss says back, wondering what that was about.

They drift off, dreaming about what the future holds for them at this school.

* * *

The alarm blares, and Weiss is up immediately. Already used to a strict schedule of sleep. She raises up and turns off her scroll. Stretching out the tiredness. She stifles a yawn and gets out of bed. She looks over and sees Blake still under her covers, frowning. Refusing to get up just yet.

"Come on, Blake. We need to get ready." Weiss says, still getting the tiredness out of her voice. She then starts to shuffle over to her closet to get her uniform. "Blake, you better be up by the time I'm done changing." She says, while walking to the bathroom. Blake just mumbles confirmation.

Blake sighs, accepting not being able to get more sleep. She gets up and stretches, arching her back with her arms up in the air, about as flexible as a cat. Seeing that she has time, she walks to the door and opens it walking over to the room across the hall, knocking to wake up Ruby.

"Ruby…" Blake says, still tired. "Ruby, it's time to get up. We have classes today." After no response, Blake tries again. "Ruby…If you get up now, you might have time to see your sister."

The door immediately opens wide. Ruby standing there in her uniform already. "Well? What are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Ruby grabs Blake's hand and tries to pull her to the front door, but she feels resistance and looks back at Blake.

"Wait, Ruby! I'm still not dressed. Give me a second." Blake tugs her arm back from Ruby.

"Well, hurry up! I'm sure Yang wants to see us. Let's not keep her waiting!" Ruby says, bouncing up and down.

"I'm not so sure it's Yang that's excited." Blake says, looking at Ruby hop up and down, with a smirk. She goes back to her room to see Weiss exit the bathroom, not noticing Ruby blush at being seen through so easily. "Be patient, Ruby. It will only take a second." She says over her shoulder.

Blake comes out a moment later. Wearing her uniform and ready to go. "What do you say we surprise Yang and pick her up some breakfast? We need to eat as well, anyways." Blake asks.

"That's a great idea! We can pick her up some food from the cafeteria!" Ruby yells, excited to treat her sister. Ruby bolts, not giving them an option.

"Huhhgh…She can never sit still!?" Weiss stomps off after her partner. Blake just smiles and walks after her.

"Yes, but look at it this way. Now we get to try the cafeteria food." Blake tells Weiss, knowing she doesn't want to touch it.

* * *

They all head to the cafeteria to get Yang and themselves some food. They notice the elevator is still out of order when they move to the end of the hallway and decide to walk down stairs. When they reach the first floor, they see Granite making out with a girl. At their approach, the woman bolts up, embarrassed. She starts straightening out her uniform, blushing. Granite turns around at the sudden nervousness. He sees them approach and he smiles.

"Oh, hey guys! 'Morning! This is my girlfriend and partner, Opal." Granite says, gesturing to the blushing girl in the school uniform. She has short blonde hair and teal eyes. Opal has a tall, slender build, at 5'10 inches tall. The embarrassed girl just nods and looks away in greeting, not a fan of being caught making out.

Hey there! Sorry Granite, but we're kinda in a hurry." Ruby says, stopping in front of the pair. "I want to see my sister before school, so we have to go now. But it was nice seeing you, Opal!" She says, starting to skip away after shaking both of their hands. Weiss and Blake just say hi and give their apologies as well. Granite waves to them as they leave, understanding Ruby's want to see her sibling.

' _Huh…Why does she look familiar?'_ Ruby thinks of the girl named Opal, as she continues on towards the cafeteria. Forgetting the last time she was in the cafeteria, she saw a similar person with a Bo-staff.

They walk in the cafeteria and see all the students, either already sitting down, or in line to get food at the back of the large room. When they walk towards the line, they hear someone call out to them from ahead in the line. "Hey! Over here!" They look further ahead and see Team JNPR, without their leader, in the line to get food. They wave back and exchange good mornings, and get in line for breakfast.

Weiss is surprised by the variety the staff has arranged for the students. From Omelets to crepes. With whatever fillings you could want. From fresh fruit to hearty meats. They all made themselves what they wanted and asked for to-go boxes for them all. Ruby makes an extra sausage, bacon, and cheese omelet for her sister. They then head to the infirmary to see Yang.

* * *

"Yang!" Ruby yells, as she glomps her big sister after walking through the door to her room.

"Hey, sis! Oof!" Yang says, as said glomp, pushes a bit of air out of her lungs. The other two team members just smile and shake their heads at the two impossible sisters.

Ruby raises her head back up at the noise Yang made. "Are you Ok?"

"Mmh…Yeah, I'll be fine." Yang says, rubbing her stomach from the impact. "So, are you guys ready for your first day?"

"You betcha!" Ruby yells. "I can't wait for combat class! That's a thing right?" Ruby asks, suddenly worried they might not have it. She never bothered to look at the schedule.

"Yes, dolt. We have combat practice. It's after Professor Ooblec's history class." Weiss answers, already feeling a headache coming from having to deal with Ruby. She rubs her temples in her head.

"Well make sure to kick some butt for me Ok, sis?" Yang says, seeing Ruby so excited.

"Right! But first…" Ruby agrees, then produces a black foam box, that says, "To go", on it. "Tada!"

"What's this?" Yang asks. Looking at Weiss and Blake's smiles. Then to Ruby again.

"It's from the school cafeteria! Yang, they have a full omelet and crepe buffet! This school is amazing!" Ruby says, handing the box to Yang. Then pulls out her own, very small strawberry crepe. Utensils to eat with, already in the boxes.

"Wow! This looks great. Thanks for picking it up guys!" Yang says as she cuts off a piece and eats it. "Mmh…This is so much better than the hospital food."

"Yes, it is rather good. I guess I take it back about the cafeteria." Weiss says after she tries her blueberry crepe.

"Yeah, I think we'll be Ok for now." Blake brings up, taking a bite from her ham and cheese omelet. "It's too bad they didn't have any tuna or salmon. That's a great omelet."

"What do you mean, 'Ok'?" Yang asks, food still in her mouth.

"Swallow! You brute!" Weiss screeches at Yang.

"That's what he said!" She returns.

"Yaaaang! That's gross!" Ruby whines. "I'm eating…" She mumbles. Then realizing the perfect opportunity to have an excuse to stop eating, she takes it. "I'm not hungry anymore."

"Sorry, sis." Yang says, with no actual regret. _'You're welcome, sis.'_ She smiles at Ruby. Ruby smiles back. Mouthing 'thank you', when the others aren't looking.

"You're a pig Yang!" Weiss yells.

Yang smiles a devious smile. "Well, you are what you eat!" Yang laughs at her dirty joke, that's also a double meaning. (1)

"Ugh…I think I'm going to be sick!" (2) Weiss says, turning visibly green.

"Oh, now who's the dirty one? That's way worse than what I was thinking." Yang says, catching on to what Weiss was thinking of.

"Look, let's just not talk about this, agreed?" Blake says, also not feeling well.

Everyone but Yang said, at the same time, "Agreed."

Yang just huffed. "Fine…But what did you mean, before?" Yang asks, wondering why they are worried about being 'Ok'.

"None of us know how to cook, so we have to rely on the cafeteria while you're in bed." Ruby answers. Still faking sick.

"Oh, well I'm not too bad. I guess I could be the cook...after I get out of this hell-hole!" Yang finishes, yelling and throwing her right arm up and flailing around, too pent up.

Ruby laughs softly at her sister's antics. "Hm...Sorry Yang. It's going to be a while." They both smile at each-other.

After telling Yang about their room and the nice RA, then the second run in with the same person and his girlfriend, the three other girls give their farewells and head to classes for the day.

Now alone again, yang thinks about the morning they had. _'Girlfriend, huh?'_ Yang thinks sadly as she covers her face with her right arm, trying to sleep some more.

* * *

 **(1) Yang is making a joke about eating pig. She's being dirty, like a pig. The double meaning is she is also eating sausage, which could be referred to as a dick.**

 **(2) Weiss thought too far into Yang's joke and thought Yang meant eating pig dick. Very disgusting.**

 **So that was Granite and Opal. Two OCs of mine that will be a little important later, but right now, he's just the RA and she's just the girl that Ruby kinda remembers from the cafeteria at the beginning of the second day at Beacon. The one with the pulse rifle/Bo-staff. Yes he is Cardin's brother. No, I will not tell you if he is secretly a dick like his younger brother. Or a vampire. I'm not giving that info away just yet! Opal is a bit of a flat chested girl, she's average a cup like Weiss, but she's still gorgeous.**

 **Thanks you guys! Please remember to review and tell me where I messed up! I know I did somewhere! :p And ask me a question about the story. I like talking to you guys! Peace out!**


	8. Extra Lessons

**Next chapter! Woo! This is a good one. It has some combat in it. I don't know how I do on combat scenes so tell me in the reviews, guys! This also has some more explanation of vampire stuff. As well as a new vampire being revealed! BUM BUM BUUUUUM! Who could it be?! xD**

 **Please continue to favorite, follow and review. We reached over 100 follows yesterday! Thanks so much! On to the story!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Extra Lessons

Team RWBY, without Yang, went to their first class for the day after visiting Yang in the infirmary and eating breakfast with her. Professor Port's Grimm studies. The man was exactly as his name would imply. He was very portly. Short, but also fat. The man had a spectacular mustache though. Completely covering his mouth, you could hardly tell if he was ever talking. They wished he never talked though.

During his introduction, the only important information he got out during the whole period was that his name was Professor Port and that they would be learning all they needed to know of the hunter's mortal enemy, the creatures of Grimm. Immediately after saying Grimm, it's like he lost himself to one of his boring tall tales of heroism.

It seemed like everyone was having trouble staying awake, even Weiss. The man was just so boring. Literally nothing he said, with such gusto, could be found entertaining. But Weiss Schnee would not falter. She stuck it out and kept her eyes open. Blake, to her left, made it about half way through the 'lecture' before she snuck a book out and read it under the table, discreetly. To Weiss' right, was Ruby. And to her surprise, not only was Ruby awake, but also paying attention like she was enjoying his blabbering. Weiss noticed a sparkle in Ruby's eye when he talked about saving a villager from harm.

' _Well, that's surprising. I thought I would have to wake the dunce up. But clearly, she is a very focused person. When she wants to be…'_ Weiss turned back towards Port and tried to stick it out if Ruby could. She would not be bested easily.

* * *

"Oh man! That class was great! His stories are so interesting." Ruby said, skipping down the hall in front of her two teammates on their way to their next class.

"You're kidding right? The man wouldn't shut-up. And did you see him wink at me? So creepy!" Weiss started to shake her head at the thought of him anywhere near her. A shiver went down her spine.

"Oh, that was just him being goofy! I don't think he meant anything by it, Weiss." Ruby then turns to Blake. "What do you think, Blake?"

"Hmm?" Blake looks up from the book she was reading while walking. She never put it down since she started in Port's class. She was too into the 'plot' of the 'romance' novel. It was about a black haired, ninja girl who saves a very curvy blonde woman from an enemy clan of ninjas. They had just made it to safety in an abandoned shack that, surprisingly, had a soft bed in it. And the blonde was about to show her heroine her gratitude when Ruby's question caught her attention. "What did you say, Ruby?"

"I was asking what you thought of Port's class. Weiss says he was boring." Ruby reminds her friend.

"Oh, uhh…His thoughts on Nevermores was very interesting." Blake says, coming up with a believable lie.

"Uhm…He never mentioned Nevermores in his story. The village was attacked by Ursa and Beowolves." Ruby informs, wondering why Blake was so distracted. "What are you reading?" She asks innocently. Looking at the spine of the book to see the title. _'Ninjas of Love…?'_

"Nothing! N-nothing important. Just a story that caught my eye in the library." Blake lies. She pulls the book closer to her chest to hide it. Thankfully Ruby's not the best at catching a liar.

"Alright, well what's our next class, Weiss?" Ruby goes back to skipping in front of her teammates, impatient like always.

Weiss, not caring what Blake is reading, answers her leader's question. "Professor Ooblec's History of Remnant class." Weiss informs, as they approach the door to said teacher's classroom.

"That's **Doctor** Ooblec! I didn't earn the PHD for fun thank you very much!" A man behind them shouts. They turn around to him, frightened at the yelling. The man is a tall and skinny man, with crazy green hair and glasses. He's wearing a partially tucked in dress shirt and tie. The man looks like he just got out of bed, yet he seems to be more hyper than Ruby.

"If you're here for my class, then take your seats! My lecture is about to begin! Hurry up children!" The professor rushes past them into his classroom, putting Ruby's semblance to shame.

"Oh, great! Another Ruby." Weiss rolls her eyes playfully, and smiles at Ruby to show she's joking.

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Ruby plays along. They both giggle then walk in to take their seats along with Blake who is back to reading her smut, _err…romance novel._ She puts the book away when the class begins. Not wanting to fail her classes on the first day.

* * *

This class wasn't a bore. That's for sure. Ooblec was zipping around the room while talking at the speed of a dust bullet. The only ones who could keep up with his fast speech enough to take proper notes was Ruby and Weiss. Blake asked if she could borrow the portion of the notes she missed and both her teammates said it was fine. Completely understanding that she fell behind.

"Wow…That was crazy. That can't be just coffee he drinks, can it?" Blake asks, her head was spinning trying to keep up with the doctor while he talked about the great war. They are all walking to their next class. Even Ruby. Needing a moment after that class.

"I don't know? But whatever it is, we can't let Ruby have any." Weiss says, giggling.

Blake immediately chimes in on the half joke. "Agreed!" She laughs with her as Ruby gives an indignant 'Hey!'

"I'm not that bad…" Ruby mumbles, kicking the ground with the tip of her boot.

"We're kidding, Ruby. Kind of, who knows what that could do to a normal person?" Weiss says, shaking her head at these crazy teachers. She doesn't notice Ruby's small smile go up at her mentioning Ruby as a normal person.

' _If only you knew.'_ Ruby shakes her head and skips ahead a bit. "Next class is combat sparring, right Weiss?" She asks, spinning around to look at them.

"Yes it is. I also look forward to this class. I never got to see you handle that alpha. I wonder how good you really are." Weiss says to Ruby. Giving her a smirk with her challenge.

"Oh, so you want to try me? Is that it?" Ruby grows a devious smile, flashing her teeth, her canines at a normal length.

"I don't see the harm in a friendly sparring bout." Weiss answers as she continues smirking walking past her.

Blake, seeing them this competitive, gets a little uncomfortable. "Why are you so eager to fight each-other?" She asks them both.

"I just want to see what my leader is capable of. If she expects me to follow her into danger, I need to know she can handle herself. Not just come up with a strategy." Weiss answers honestly.

"I just really want to fight you!" Ruby also answered honestly. But there was a bit more to it. _'Weiss is never going to learn to trust me as leader until I show her I can be good enough. I don't want to hurt her, but it may do some good.'_ Ruby thinks, anyways.

"Whatever. Just don't go too far. I don't want this team to be one member short permanently." Blake says, joking.

"Well, this is only if we get to choose. Who knows how Miss Goodwitch will select the pairs to spar?" Weiss informs. They make it to the double doors that lead to the combat classroom. They walk in and see Glynda at her desk. She stands up and walks over to them.

"Miss Rose, I would like to speak to you alone after class." Glynda gives her a serious look. And then moves it over to her friends.

"Uh…Sure. That's fine. What's it about?" Ruby asks a bit intimidated by the stare. The other two don't speak, also afraid to speak out of turn.

Glynda's stare softens. "You don't have to worry. Your leader isn't in trouble. I would only like to talk to her about some leadership advice. It won't take too long." She says to the two behind Ruby.

"R-right. I guess we'll just go back to the dorm then after class." Weiss stutters.

"Again, we'll talk after class, Ruby." Glynda walks back over to her desk to pick up her scroll to handle something before class begins.

Ruby and the others take their seats. They notice a faunus girl with bunny ears and brown hair getting picked on. The jerk, laughing while pulling on her ear, looks a bit like Granite, only smaller.

"Ow! Stop! My ears are sensitive!" The girl complains, too scared to try and break out of his grasp, in fear he may do damage to the delicate appendage.

Ruby is over there in a heartbeat. Nothing but rose petals beside Blake and Weiss. She grasps his hand that is holding her ear and squeezes it.

"Ahhhh!" Is all the boy gets out before Ruby punches him in the back of the head. He falls limp and let's go of the girl's ear. Ruby puts him down on the chair he was sitting on and turns to the bunny faunus.

"Are you Ok?" Ruby asks the hurt faunus girl.

"Y-yeah…I'll be fine. Thank you. Cardin, him." The faunus points to the unconscious boy in the seat. "He's a real jerk. He just got here and he's already made a name for himself as a bully. I don't understand it. No one was that bad last year."

"You're an upperclassman?" The redhead asks. Curious as to why she just takes the torment from them.

"I am, second year." At seeing Ruby's curious face she answers her unasked question. "I know I should stop them, but I don't like to hurt people if I can help it. Violence doesn't solve anything. And I wish the White Fang could see that. They're just hurting more people." Blake and Weiss walk over at hearing the White Fang being mentioned.

Blake stays quiet, looking down. Weiss thinks about what she heard her say. Before she can answer, Ruby speaks up.

"Maybe. But I also know that if you do nothing, not only are you getting hurt, but the people around you can get hurt as well. That's something I cannot allow." Ruby smiles at the bunny girl.

"You may be right. Still as long as it's just me getting hurt, I'll be able to take it. The name is Velvet, by the way." Velvet smiles putting her hand out for Ruby to shake.

Ruby accepts the hand immediately. "Ruby Rose!" Ruby grins at her. "And please tell me if he bothers you again. I don't like seeing my friends get hurt." She says, gesturing to Cardin.

Velvet looks away and blushes at Ruby being so protective over her. "Uhh…S-sure, I can do that." She stutters. "T-thank you."

"Anytime!" Ruby gets out, before Glynda stands back up to address the class. She looked to Ruby and Velvet and gave Ruby a knowing smile. Then continued on as if nothing happened.

"So! This is sparring class. My name is Glynda Goodwitch as most of you know already. This class is meant to teach you how to combat not just Grimm, but also human opponents. Not every threat to humanity is a creature of Grimm. I'm sure you are all aware of the White Fang." She received some nods and grunts of confirmation.

"Well, while they may have been peaceful at one time. They most certainly are not now!" She belted out as she smacked the nearest desk with her riding crop.

"They have begun stealing dust. The very thing that keeps us ahead of the fight with the creatures of Grimm. Not only that, but they have also began kidnapping people. Innocent people." When she says this, she gives Blake a look. Blake locks eyes with Glynda and then Blake's eyes go wide and she looks away. Glynda continues like nothing happened. No one the wiser of what transpired. She walks around the room as she continues her explanation.

"These crimes are too serious to let go. And as it is our jobs to protect the people, we need to be ready to fight all that would threaten our Kingdoms. So with that said. We will begin sparring class." When she says this, she pulls up her scroll and taps some buttons. Overhead of the arena is a big monitor. It displays two aura meters and boxes of potential faces above each one.

"The objective is to get used to fighting a person on your skill level. The White Fang are dangerous. And you need to be prepared in case you run into some. So with that said, we will begin with partner sparring first." She finishes and the two boxes begin to spin together, randomly deciding the first pair of partners to fight.

Weiss and Ruby look to each-other with a confident smirk. Both excited to fight and prove themselves better.

"You ready to give up and accept defeat?" Weiss asks, in her most arrogant voice.

"No way! You're going down Weiss!" Ruby gives Weiss a thumbs-down.

"Pyrrha Nikos. And Jaune Arc." Glynda announces as the boxes land on the Arkos pair.

"That's right, Mister Arc is still in the hospital for his leg." Glynda mumbles as she grips her chin. "Who would like to face Miss Nikos?" She asks the room. She scans everyone, no one willing to fight the Invincible Girl. Except a certain scythe wielder. Glynda sees Ruby's hand go up. _'Ruby, huh? That might make a good match, but she already has a partner.'_ She then sees beside Ruby is Blake.

"Miss Belladonna! It seems you are also without a partner. Would you like to give Miss Nikos a match?" She calls out to Blake.

Blake releases a sigh and shrugs her shoulders. "Ok." She walks down next to Pyrrha in the arena. Pyrrha is smiling at her.

"Thank you, Blake. I think it only makes sense for us to spar since our partners aren't able." Pyrrha puts her arm over her chest and lowers her head in a salute.

"You're right. No point in us not participating when we have the chance." They ready their weapons. "Don't go easy on me, Pyrrha." Blake gives her a small smirk.

"Oh, you're not getting off that easily!" Pyrrha laughs, then schools her face back to a neutral one.

"Fighters ready?" Glynda asks, her arm raised, about to start the match. She looks at them both. They give a nod in return. "Begin!" And she drops her arm.

* * *

Pyrrha charges immediately, hoping to end it quickly. Knowing about Blake's shadows and how confusing they can be. Blake flips over her shadow clone as Pyrrha bashes it with her shield. She continues her assault, not stopping. She slashes at Blake, still in the air. It cuts her in half, but then shimmers out of existence. Pyrrha trusts her instincts, and rolls forward. Narrowly dodging Blake's Gambol Shroud, slicing from behind. Pyrrha turns around, but Blake's not there either. She swiftly turns around with her shield up to block a few rounds from Blake's pistol.

"Staying in my blind spot, are you?" Pyrrha asks as she blocks the last bullet, back flipping over a swipe that Blake takes right after she stops firing.

"Well, you are the Invincible Girl!" Blake gets out as she takes another swing at Pyrrha's legs. "I figured I should put the name to the test."

Pyrrha suddenly takes a swipe with Milo, stopping her defensive stance to throw Blake off guard. It works, as Blake has to back pedal and jump off a shadow clone's back. Pyrrha, having some breathing room, changes Milo into its rifle form and takes some shots at Blake.

Blake runs in a circle around Pyrrha to dodge the gunfire as well as get slowly closer to her. As she starts to narrow the circle pattern on her target she leaps off of a shadow clone to get the height advantage. She comes down with both of her short swords, ready. Pyrrha raises Akuo to intercept. But that's exactly what Blake wanted.

With Pyrrha's shield raised above her head. She couldn't see Blake anymore. The one fatal flaw when fighting Blake is to take your eyes off of her. Blake leaps off of a mid-air shadow clone to dive behind Pyrrha. She raised Gambol Shroud to the back of Pyrrha's neck and stood there.

* * *

The room was silent. For a beat everyone was astonished. The Invincible Girl, beaten so easily. Pyrrha gets up. She turns around to face Blake and puts Milo and Akuo on her back and bows to Blake gracefully. Glynda calls out after a moment.

"And…That's the match! Blake Belladonna is the winner!" With that, the room explodes. Everyone going crazy. Through it all Blake can make out some familiar voices.

"Yeah! Blake, that was amazing! Way to go! Score one for Team RWBY!" Ruby chants.

Weiss doesn't chant, but she does smile at her and nods her well-earned victory. Blake smiles at them both, a little embarrassed. She then hears one more voice.

"Pyrrha! How could you?! You disgraced us! How could you lose?!" Nora starts crying into Ren. He just shakes his head and gives a smile and a thumbs-up to both of the combatants for the great fight.

"That was very well fought Blake! We have to do this again sometime." Pyrrha says with a big grin.

"Sure. I don't see why not?" Blake just shrugs again with the smile still on her face. Turning to Glynda approaching them.

"Well done Miss Belladonna. Very impressive. I feel you should think about qualifying for the tournament coming up next semester." The professor says, truly surprised by Blake's abilities.

"Maybe." Blake gives a small smile. She then turns around and heads to her seat with her friends. Pyrrha follows.

Ruby glomps Blake when she gets closer. Blake almost loses her balance, but holds steady. Ruby peers back to look at Blake.

"That was awesome! You were all like 'swoosh' and 'shhhing' and then Pyrrha couldn't keep up. That was so cool!" Ruby blabbers on, making sword noises when it suited her. Ruby lets go and they both retake their seats.

"Thank you Ruby." Blake says smiling at the adorable little redhead. Not able to contain a laugh at her enthusiastic recount of the fight. They then turn back towards the arena to watch the next set of combatant's line up and fight.

Weiss turns to Blake to congratulate her. "Well done, Blake. That was a very impressive plan." She smiles at her.

"Thanks Weiss." Blake mumbles, turning away from her to hide her blush from all the praise.

Blake notices a recently knocked out bully, up again, wondering what happened. He then starts looking around for someone. He then sets his sights on Ruby, and gives her a menacing glare. Ruby doesn't notice. And he turns back around after he is called to participate in a fight.

"Ruby." Blake calls to her leader and bumps her shoulder.

"What is it Blake?" She asks, not noticing the degenerate give her a death glare and keeping her eye on the match in front of her.

"It's Cardin, I think he knows you attacked him. He looked at you when he got up. It wasn't a friendly look." Blake gives her a worried look.

"I'll be fine Blake, if he comes after me I'll just crush his other arm, or maybe something more delicate?" Ruby gets a devious look in her eye.

"Ruby, just be careful. And don't kill him either." Blake gives her a small smile to show she was joking.

"I know, Blake. Don't worry. I'm so pumped to face Weiss!" Ruby lets out a squeal of excitement. Blake just shakes her head and goes back to watching the match.

* * *

The next couple of fights go by. Half way through the class and Nora and Ren fight. It's a complete wash. Whether it's in combat or outside of combat, Ren just can't get away from Nora. Not that he would want to. Nora eventually caught him and sat on him until he gave up. Everyone laughing at the ridiculous, 'not' couple.

Weiss and Ruby were still waiting for their turn. To prove which one was better on the battlefield. Ruby had respect for Weiss. She knew she was an exceptional dust mage. And Weiss also had respect for Ruby. Ruby was cutting swathes through Grimm when they were in the Emerald Forest. Truly, she looked like the 'Grimm' reaper in that moment. But that doesn't mean they didn't want to find out who was truly better.

This won't really prove anything to either of them. Weiss is Ok with Ruby being the team leader. And Ruby doesn't feel like she's being undermined by Weiss. They both just really want to fight each-other. To prove who is best, one-on-one.

"Weiss Schnee! And Ruby Rose!" Glynda calls out. Ruby and Weiss look at each-other.

"Well, this is it! Let's go, Weiss. This is going to be so much fun!" Ruby says, as she hops down the stairs to the arena.

"You dolt…" Weiss mutters. "Wait up! You can't start without me!" Weiss takes a brisk pace down, towards the arena. She's excited, but she can't ruin appearances.

They stand facing each-other in the arena. Weapons at the ready, waiting for Glynda to start it. "Fighters ready?" Glynda raises her arm in the air again. They both nod, smiling at each-other. "Begin!"

* * *

Weiss lunges at Ruby, testing her reflexes, not overextending. Ruby bats Myrtenaster out of the way and while Crescent Rose is pointed away from Weiss, Ruby capitalizes on the situation and pulls the trigger. Launching her blade towards Weiss' right arm. Weiss, thankfully not fully lunging, is able to pull her blade back in time to deflect Ruby's scythe.

Weiss leaps back trying to gain some distance to use her glyphs. Ruby, noticing her back up, doesn't give her the opportunity. She vanishes in a cloud of rose petals. Reappearing behind Weiss and taking another swing at her. Weiss hears her and pulls Myrtenaster to her left shoulder, angled down to intercept the blade. The weapons clash and Weiss starts to lose ground. Not as strong as Ruby. She starts sliding back, but notices that Myrtenaster is pointed down. She pushes it into the floor and uses the dust chamber selected. Ruby is suddenly incased halfway in ice.

Weiss gives a moment to smirk, thinking she won. Then it gets taken right off as Ruby shoots Crescent Rose into the floor. The base of the ice column collapses under the pressure and Ruby is free. Barley enough time to dodge out of the way of Weiss' rapid thrusts, Ruby gets backed up to the edge of the arena. When she is at the edge, Weiss make one last lunge, this time she does overextend thinking she has her. Ruby rolls to the side at the last second and Weiss starts to stumble. Trying to stop herself from falling out of the ring. Just as she's about to fall over and out of the ring. She suddenly stops. She looks back and sees Ruby there, grabbing ahold of Weiss' wrist, Smirking, Ruby pulls Weiss back into the circle.

"You Ok, Weiss? You need a break?" Ruby asks tauntingly, still smirking.

"I'll make you eat those words, Rose!" Weiss takes another thrust with Myrtenaster. Ruby skillfully dodges it and then enters past Weiss' guard. Ruby gives her a wolf's grin and then jumps up and pushes off of Weiss' shoulder and leaps higher. Ruby starts spinning in the air vertically like a buzz saw. When she comes back down, Weiss barley dives in time, out of the way. Ruby plows into the arena floor, creating a huge gash in the ground. She pulls out Crescent Rose and hefts it on her shoulder. She looks back at Weiss. And suddenly that smirk of Ruby's is gone.

Ruby shouldn't have played around and given Weiss time. She looks to Weiss and she's glowing green. A green clock-like glyph below her. Weiss smirks this time. "You shouldn't have given me so much time, dolt." Weiss summons glyphs all around the arena. Ruby sees what's about to happen and charges Weiss.

Weiss disappears from view, going too fast for the human eye to track, and Ruby looks around the arena for her. She sees a blur going from one glyph to another. Seeing she is in trouble, Ruby concentrates and listens for Weiss to charge. _'This will have to do. I can't use my vampire eyes, they're too noticeable.'_

Weiss keeps her eyes on Ruby while she jumps from glyph to glyph. She notices Ruby close her eyes and lower her scythe. 'What is she doing?! Does she surrender, or…?' Weiss decides to charge anyways. She dashes towards Ruby's back after she hits the next glyph. And right when she's about to strike…She loses control of Myrtenaster. She gets pulled up into the air.

* * *

She looks up and sees Ruby's hand grasping her wrist, holding her by her sword arm. "But how?! I should have been moving too fast for you to see coming!" Weiss yells, confused as to how Ruby snatched her out of the air like she did.

"I couldn't see you coming, but I could hear you." Ruby informs, as she holds Crescent Rose to her throat.

"You heard me coming?! That's impossible!" Weiss sags in defeat. Glynda calls the match in favor of Ruby. Ruby continues to explain over the cheers of a great match.

"It's not impossible. My uncle Qrow trained me to use my senses like a weapon. He's a great huntsman, who knows a thing or two about stealth and recon. I just had to focus and I could hear your movements while you made them." Ruby half lies. Qrow did train her to use her senses, but her senses would have never been able to detect Weiss moving so fast without the help of her amazing vampire senses.

"It was a good match though, Weiss. I've never been pushed so far before. Do you wanna try this again sometime?" Ruby asks as she lets go of Weiss. Weiss looks up at Ruby like she's grown another head.

"I…Yes I would like that very much." Weiss says, after shaking her head and smiling at Ruby. _'Why am I so happy she beat me?'_

"Cool! Let's go see Blake!" Ruby grabs Weiss' hand and races back up the steps to Blake. Weiss blushes the whole way up.

"That was an incredible match, you two!" Blake praises, while smiling at Weiss' blush.

"Oh stop! Shut your stupid face, it wasn't that amazing." Ruby mumbles at the praise, flustered. Kicking at the floor with her boot and squirming in place while poking her index fingers together in embarrassment.

Blake just laughs at her ridiculous leader. Weiss joins in when Ruby starts whining about being made fun of. They take their seats again and watch the rest of the matches.

* * *

The class ends and they walk towards the door like everyone else. Suddenly, when Ruby is right at the door, a voice calls her name and she turns around.

"Miss Rose, I asked you to stay after class." When Ruby turns around she sees it's Glynda that called her.

"Oh! I forgot. Sorry, Glynda." Ruby stammers over herself apologizing. Rubbing the back of her head.

"When we are in a classroom, you should address me as professor or Miss Goodwitch, Miss Rose. It wouldn't hurt for you to be more professional when at this academy." Glynda lectures, giving a scowl.

"Oh! Ok. I can do that. Professor" Ruby gets more nervous, fidgeting under Glynda's gaze. Weiss and Blake, already having left for the dorm to relax or start on homework, didn't stay long for Ruby, knowing she needs to stay after. The last student, besides Ruby, leaves and the door to the classroom 'shuts on its own.'

Glynda sighs. "It's alright Ruby. We're alone now. I'm not here to scold you." Glynda gestures for Ruby to have a seat at her desk. Glynda sits down, looking at Ruby with a neutral face.

"Uhm…Then why are we here?" Ruby asks, still nervous.

"You are here, because Ozpin wanted me to talk with you. You see, Ozpin thought it might be best for me to help you, help Yang." The professor starts to explain.

"Yang? How can we help her?" Excited for her sister getting better, Ruby straightens up in her seat.

"Well, Ozpin thought it might be best to show you a technique. It's used to heal people extraordinarily fast. But it also can only be used by certain people, on certain people." Glynda gets up out of her chair and walks over to the side where Ruby is.

"That's great! I guess it's a vampire technique?" She asks, not sure.

"That's correct." Glynda affirms.

"Then why isn't he teaching me? H-how are you going to show me?" Ruby asks, as it starts to slowly click.

"Well because, Ruby…" Glynda lowers her face next to Ruby's and removes her glasses. "I am also a vampire." Her eyes glow red and they stare into Ruby's silver.

"Woah…I never knew." The redhead said, astonished.

"Clearly." The newly discovered vampire raises back up and walks back to her seat. "Now, Ruby. This technique I am about to teach you must never be used on someone other than a person you have a certain bond with. They must connect with you on a very deep level. If your experience with this technique is not enough or you don't have a connection to them, they very well may die, as well as you. I've seen it happen plenty of times."

"Why is it so dangerous?" The girl asks, worried she may not be able to save Yang.

"Because, the way this technique works is you are using your own life energy to strengthen theirs. If you have no connection, or if you don't know how to do it properly, you could lose your own soul, and theirs, in the connection of souls. Ruby, when you feed from someone, do you know what that actually does?"

"It gives me energy, right?" She asks unsure.

"Sort of. You're actually taking their soul, Ruby." Glynda braces herself for the scream she knows is coming, closing her eyes and clenching. Only to hear nothing. She opens her eyes and calls out. "Ruby?" she sees the redhead looking down, trying to say something.

"So…I've been dr-drinking Yang's soul?" Ruby looks up at her crying.

"Not quite, Ruby. Yes you are, but as long as you don't take all of it, no harm comes to her. It's why siring does what it does. You take their soul out, but in doing so. You also leave some of your own. It stays inside them and sort of infects them. The small amount of your soul, and theirs that remains, reanimates them." Glynda smiles. "Your mother's soul is inside of you right now Ruby. And the soul, like aura, replenishes over time. That's how we know aura is the soul. Because it replenishes just like the soul we drink out through the blood. Yang still has her soul intact, but you also have her soul inside you."

"Oh, thank Oum!" Ruby collapses on the desk in front of her, giving out a groan of relief. No longer worried she is killing Yang. "So, as long as I have a connection with the person, I can heal them?" Ruby asks as she raises her head back up.

"Well, it depends on several things. Such as if you have performed the healing before, or how bad the injuries are. The worse they are, the more energy it will take. And if you use too much…" The elder vampire leaves for Ruby to finish her thought.

"…Then I lose my soul and die?" Ruby finishes not entirely sure.

"Yes. It takes a lot of energy to use the technique in the first place. So don't go trying to use it like aura and heal little cuts with it. Only major injuries." Glynda shakes her head at Ruby trying to absorb all of the information.

"Uh…Yeah. I think I understand." Ruby bobs her head up and down, showing she can continue.

"Alright. So, considering your sister has multiple injuries all over her body, this won't work in one day. The energy we would give Yang would rapidly regenerate her broken body. But it's not instantaneous. It would be like a very rapidly healing aura. This should be done in about a weeks' time from now. We will alternate between the two of us healing her. Giving us plenty of time to get our strength back." The vampire professor gets up and walks to the door.

"Wait! You mean you're also going to be healing Yang? I thought that you needed a connection? You don't have a connection to her, do you?" Ruby asks, confused.

"No, I don't. But I don't need one. I have performed this technique more times than I can count. I've been alive almost as long as Ozpin. And am one of the founding members of the counsel that keeps order of all vampires. I'll do just fine healing your sister." Glynda waves for Ruby to follow her.

Ruby gets up from her chair and walks to the door by Glynda. "Wow… That's amazing! My mom told me that the only reason that there is order in this world is because the counsel keeps it. As well as keeping the vampires existence a secret. You guys are amazing!"

"Right…Let's go Ruby. You need to try this. It has the best chance working on Yang. Anyone else and you would likely kill them, as well as yourself." Glynda says opening the door and walking out.

"Geeze. Way to encourage me on this." Ruby says, sarcastically.

"You'll do fine…probably." Glynda says, worriedly. Only messing with Ruby. A smile on her face as she walks ahead of the fledgling.

"Ok…Wait, what!?" Glynda turns around so Ruby can see her smile to show she's just playing. "Man! Why does everyone do that to me!?"

Glynda just laughs softly. _'Wow, Ozpin was right, it is fun to mess with her.'_ They continue towards the infirmary to see Yang and tell her the good news.

* * *

 **I know big surprise! Glynda a vampire?! Who knew? That's right Ruby has been drinking Yang's delicious strawberry and lemon soul! Tell me what you guys think of the technique and the fight scenes. I want to know how to improve with them. Thank you!**


	9. Nightmares and Memories Continued

**Hello! I haven't posted a chapter in a few days because the extra life stream that Rooster Teeth does was amazing and I loved it! It was 24 hours so that's why I didn't get any work done on a chapter. Until now! Chapter 9! Glynda and Ruby start to work on Yang. Woo!**

 **Anyways, I would like to plug another writer on the site. They really deserve it! They helped me get started. There was something really dumb stopping me from actually writing and the talk with him really helped. He's an amazing writer and you should go see his work. My favorite so far is "A Rose by Any Other Name" it's a Black Rose ship so it's obvious why I enjoy it. His name is "Fallen Shadow69"**

 **To the story! And yes, I did reuse the chapter title, but it was a very good fit. Especially for the end! MWAHAHAHAHA!**

* * *

Chapter 9: Nightmares and Memories Continued

Weiss and Blake make their way back to the dorms. They walk in the front door and see Granite there, just walking back to his desk, coming from the direction of the bathrooms.

"Oh, hey guys! Where's the redhead?" Granite smiles and waves as he gets back in his seat.

Hello, Granite. Our leader is having a discussion with Miss Goodwitch, something about leadership advice." Weiss answers, giving him a small smile. It then drops when she remembers the encounter with Cardin. "By the way, about your brother…" Weiss says, leading off, thinking about how to put it.

"Oh geeze, what did he do now?" Granite looks down and shakes his head.

"He was picking on a faunus girl. He was grabbing her ears and yanking them. Ruby stopped him though, and she's Ok." Blake looks at him, wondering what he thinks of faunus.

The big man sighs, giving them a sad smile. "It's not really his fault you know…He wasn't that way from the start. He used to find faunus pretty 'cool' once." He rubs his face, thinking about back then. He smiles at the memory. "He used to actually have a few faunus friends. He talked about how he thought their ears or tails or horns made them look cool." His smile drops to a look of regret.

"But, around the time the White Fang turned violent. I had been in Signal. I was on this simple exercise with my friends and a teacher. We were just scouting the downtown area of Vale. It was supposed to be just an exercise and nothing more. Just getting used to patrol patterns during reconnaissance. But we stumbled upon this, supposedly, abandoned warehouse. We checked it as part of our area and found a warehouse of stolen weapons and dust. Before we could go to report it, we were ambushed by the White Fang. Apparently it was theirs, and they weren't too keen with us leaving with our lives after finding their hidden stash. This guy, I think he was a bull faunus…"

At this mentioning, Blake froze. She wasn't doing good this entire story, but the mentioning of a 'bull' faunus made it so much worse. "Did…d-did he fight with a slim, long sword?" She asked, nervous.

He looks at her, confused. "Um, yeah. He did?" Granite looked at Blake worried. "You haven't had a run in with this guy, have you?"

Blake was relieved that's what he thought instead of actually being a partner to him, like she was. "I have…" She half lies. "He's very fast and strong." Blake shivers at the thought of seeing him again. What he would do if he found her.

"You're telling me…" Granite grimaces at the memory. "Luckily I didn't have to face him at such a young age. But he cut down our teacher like he was a joke. It lasted all of 4 seconds. Our teacher had a powerful semblance. He threw a huge fireball at the guy. And he just seemed to absorb it into his sword and it vanished. A moment later, he swung his sword in a horizontal arc and our teacher was in two pieces. It was horrifying. At seeing that we tried to run, me and my friends. We didn't make it very far before we were cornered. But right as he approached to finish us all off, we heard sirens. We then saw huntsmen coming to help us and the White Fang members took off." He smiled at what saved them.

"Our teacher…Before he died, he activated his beacon on his scroll. He knew we would need help with how many there were. And that saved us, but…" He looked down, clasping his hands together, worried. "This guy, he didn't flee so easily. He was infuriated that their warehouse was caught. He took it out on me. I was closest."

He stood up and lifted his shirt up. In the center of his chest was a 5 inch long scar. He pointed to it. "This was his doing. He stabbed me through. I would have been dead if one of my friends hadn't had a medical semblance. I was in the hospital for a few weeks recovering from the heart damage." He looks back up to them and smiles a bit.

"My family came to see me regularly, including my brother. Eventually it got to them that it was a faunus White Fang member. My parents hate the White Fang for what they did to me. I'm sure we have a lot in common on that regard, Schnee. Our families hating the White Fang." He smiles to Weiss. "But they don't hate all faunus." Weiss frowns at that. Granite doesn't seem to notice and continues. "They could understand that just because one is bad doesn't make all of them the same." He sits back down, frowning again.

"My brother though, he was young, and thought that anyone who would hurt his brother was evil. He despised all faunus. I tried to talk some sense into him, but he wouldn't listen. The White Fang was getting worse and worse and he thought since they want equality for all faunus, all faunus must be allied with them. He just doesn't understand. Not all faunus agree with what the White Fang are doing. But to him, all faunus must be 'animals.'" He looks back up, shaking his head.

"Anyways, sorry for going on so long. My point is that it's just something personal to him. He can't help it. I'm not telling you to be Ok with what he's doing. Just know that it's because he's misguided." Granite tries to explain.

Blake freezes again at the word of 'misguided.' That was how she sees the White Fang. It's why she left them. They weren't going to change, so she had to leave. She speaks up. "I get it…It's hard to see the full picture if you only look at it from one angle. I think the White Fang are similar in that regard."

He looks up at her curious for a second. Then smiles down at himself. "Maybe you're right. Maybe the majority of them are just doing what they think is right. They just don't see what they are doing to the rest of Remnant." He gets up again. "Anyways, I've wasted enough of your time on my little sob story." He says as he laughs and scratches the back of his head, awkwardly.

"If he does it again, just come tell me, or if you want to handle it yourself. Just go a little easy on him?" Granite says, shrugging with the question.

"We'll see." Blake gives a smirk. "Come on Weiss, we have some homework to get started on." She gestures to her roomy to follow.

"Indeed. I'm glad that at least one of my teammates takes the school work seriously here." Weiss follows behind, smiling softly. "It was nice talking to you Granite."

"Yeah, sure. You guys go have 'fun' on your homework. Oh! And one more thing! If I'm not at the front of the dorm and you need me for any reason, just call me on your scroll. All scrolls should automatically have the users RA's number on them." Granite then gets to work at his desk.

"Sure thing." Blake says, as she and Weiss start up the stairs, climbing since the elevator is still busted. They're on the second floor before Blake asks Weiss a question.

"What did you mean, 'at least one of your teammates takes school seriously?' Ruby seems to, she even paid attention to Port's class." She looks to Weiss to see her reaction.

"Well, yes. But that doesn't mean that she will do her homework. I'll believe it when I see it. And as for the brute. You heard Ruby the other day, she likes to go out at night. Clearly a party girl. Someone who doesn't like to sit still. Just like her little sister." Weiss huffs at the two sisters.

"You don't know that." Blake defends them. _'That's weird…Why do I care so much about the both of them? Yang I understand, I'm not denying how I feel for her, but Ruby?'_ Blake is taken out of her thoughts as Weiss looks at her funny. "What?"

"Just wondering why you got so defensive of the two. You hardly seem the confrontational type." Weiss shrugs as she answers.

' _You have no idea…'_ Blake thinks sadly. "Well, they are my teammates. Shouldn't I be defensive of them?" Blake says coolly, as she worried she may have given too much information to Weiss about her. The worry disappears as she hears Weiss' response.

"I guess you're right. I really should give them a chance. Ruby does seem to constantly surprise me with how diligent she is." Weiss smiles at the thought of her being beaten by Ruby again.

Blake grins like a cat at seeing Weiss go quiet while smiling, thinking of Ruby. "Oh? Do you want Ruby to surprise you more? You seemed to enjoy losing to her at the arena." Blake laughs as Weiss turns pink.

"Y-you! Shut-up, Blake! I don't know what you're talking about! I just want a rematch is all." Weiss crosses her arms and huffs as she approaches the door to their dorm.

Blake laughs again. "Sure Weiss, whatever you say." Weiss just groans and walks in after scanning her scroll to unlock the door. Blake follows after, starting to walk for the kitchen and then stops herself. Weiss sees this and looks at her, wondering what she's thinking. Blake speaks up. "You know? We should probably go to the store to pick up some drinks some time. I kind of want a glass of milk right now." She admits, blushing a bit. Weiss doesn't notice and responds.

"Not a bad idea, let's do that when we get done with homework though. I don't like having it looming over my head all day." Weiss walks to their room and Blake just pours a cup a water from the faucet. _'This will do for now.'_ She then follows. Both starting on their homework for the day. Neither able to stop thinking of their partners.

* * *

Ruby and Glynda walk into Yang's room. It doesn't even take a second before Ruby goes to hug Yang.

"I missed you, Yang!" Ruby smothers her head into Yang's chest, causing Yang to blush.

Glynda sees it and rolls her eyes. _'Oh my, Ozpin was right. They are ridiculous with this. It's so obvious.'_ She clears her throat to announce her presence to the both of them, clearly lost in each-other. The effect has an immediate effect on Yang. She blushes twofold.

"Oh! P-professor Goodwitch! I didn't see you there. What are you doing here?" Yang gets curious. She looks to Ruby if she can explain.

"Yang! You'll never guess what I learned about Glynda!" Before Ruby can continue and answer her question, Yang speaks up.

"Is it that she's a vampire?" Yang looks at Ruby while Ruby makes a shocked face.

"You knew?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Ruby hits her softly in the shoulder.

"Ow! Because I thought it was obvious! I thought you knew already. If Ozpin is a vampire I just assumed she was too. Why would his second in command be a human? I thought it only made sense." Yang explains, while rubbing her injured shoulder like it hurt.

"Well it wasn't obvious to me! I had no idea!" Ruby yells, then pouts. "Hmmph…"

"Sorry, Ruby. I just thought you knew." Yang starts to rub Ruby's back in comfort.

"If you two are done. There was a reason we have come here. And it's not so you could comfort your sister." Glynda gives her a knowing look after scowling. Yang blushes and moves her hand away. Ruby turns back to Yang, remembering why they are there.

"Yang! Glynda taught me a technique I can use to heal you! We both can!" Ruby grabs her hand, smiling at Yang.

"Really? How?" Yang looks to Glynda to explain.

"Well, we can use the energies we syphon by drinking blood, to heal you faster. It will still take some time before you are all better, but it will significantly improve your healing speed. Think of it like an aura transfer. Also a very high-level technique, but one that is more dangerous than aura transfer, but also more effective." Glynda starts to explain, but is cut off by Yang at 'dangerous.'

"Dangerous? Dangerous how? Could it hurt you or Ruby?" Yang starts to worry for her sister and teacher.

"It is, but Ozpin would have never allowed me to show Ruby this technique if he thought she couldn't do it. She'll be fine Yang. And I have a lot of experience performing this ability." Glynda tries to ease her worry.

"Ruby? Are you sure you're up for this?" Yang asks her sister, gripping her hand in hers.

Ruby gives a nod. "I am, Yang. I can do it. I have a bond with you! Glynda said it's much easier and safer with a bond present." Ruby says happily, trying to encourage Yang about this.

"A bond?" Yang looks away from Ruby, blushing.

"Yeah! A bond! We're sisters. And I d-drink you blood." Ruby stutters, remembering that she has Yang's soul inside of her.

"What does that have to do with it?" Yang turns back towards her to ask.

"Apparently, I-I haven't just been drinking your blood, Yang." Ruby sighs, not knowing how Yang may react. "Glynda told me that, while I drink your blood, I am also drinking your s-soul." Ruby mutters, and then immediately starts to back-petal, shaking her arms in front of her. "S-she told me that you would be Ok, Yang! Your soul apparently replenishes, like aura. You'll be fine!" Ruby tries to ease her worries.

"So…You have my soul?" Yang thinks looking down. _'So you have my soul…and my heart.'_ She smiles, still looking down. She looks back up at Ruby. "It's fine Ruby. I'm glad it's you and not someone else. I know you will take care of it." Yang smiles softly at Ruby. Ruby blushes crimson, and looks down.

"Uh…Y-yeah. I c-can do that." She mutters, she grips her chest, feeling for Yang's soul inside of her subconsciously.

Yang hugs her with her right arm. Ruby hugs back and lays her head on Yang's shoulder, smiling. Glynda interrupts again, still wanting them to remember they aren't alone. She clears her throat.

"I think it would be best if we start now, before someone comes to…interrupt." She says, obviously referring to humans walking in to discover vampires. "Better yet…" Glynda walks to the door with a chair in her hand. She pushes the chair into the doorknob to hold it in place.

"There. Now no one will bother us." Glynda walks over to her bed, on Yang's left side. "Now, I will start, Ruby. And you watch what I do. I will explain what I'm doing, but you still need to pay attention. I can only do this one time today. So make it count." Glynda puts her hands up over Yang's left arm, still in the cast. "Are you ready, Yang?" She looks down at her, asking.

"Uh…What is it going to feel like?" Yang asks, nervous.

"It will feel…different. Like an aura boost, but almost overwhelmingly so. You will have to have the energy concentrate on the spot that is hurt, otherwise the energy disperses at random and my job gets much more difficult in controlling the connection." Glynda looks to her expectantly.

"Ok…huhh…I'm ready." Yang breathes in and out, one time, deeply, then gives her a nod to start.

Glynda's eyes light up crimson, as a cloud of dark red energy forms around her hands. She lowers them slowly to Yang's casted arm. When they reach, Yang feels a jolt of energy course through her. But only startling her for an instant. It feels very warm, not unlike her semblance when it activates. But still different.

"Yang! I need you to concentrate for me! Focus it on your arm!" Glynda starts to grimace a bit at the strain. Not having a bond makes the connection much harder to hold.

"R-right!" Yang says as she shuts her eyes to concentrate on the energy swirling within her. She feels pulses of the energy rush through her entire body. Some burning more than others. She focuses on her broken bones in her left arm. She feels the burning in other areas recede a bit, as they move through her, to her arm, slowly.

"You're doing well. Just a bit more and the connection will be maintained." Glynda starts to grasp her arm better.

"Ok." Yang continues concentrating on her arm. Feeling the energy being called to her arm. Her arm is starting to throb from the concentrated energy. She grimaces at the pain.

"Yang? Are you Ok?" Ruby, seeing this, worries she may be hurting. She grabs Yang's other hand and squeezes lightly.

Yang, feeling the comforting hold of her sister starts to relax a bit. "I am now. Thanks sis." Yang calls out to her, still having her eyes closed in concentration.

A little longer and the energy is almost completely in her arm, some remaining in her shoulder, where the bite is located on her back. It still throbs, but it also feels nice. And the comforting hand squeezing hers makes it more bearable. Glynda lifts her hands off. Giving out a tiring breath.

"That should do it for now. Don't stop concentrating on it until it fades completely. It will still take some more time to heal, but that's all I'm needed for. The connection is stable, as long as you concentrate on it." She looks to Ruby, holding on to Yang's hand. "It should continue for a few more minutes and then the bones should start to mend."

"But you should still take it easy, Yang! The bones may heal, but they aren't 100 percent. They won't be with just one use. They will re-break if you try anything." She gives Yang a glare as she scolds her for always straining herself. She knows of the medical records from Signal as well.

Still concentrating, Yang answers. "I know. And I will." She smiles, still closing her eyes. "I promised." She grips Ruby's hand back, giving a confirming squeeze.

Ruby smiles back at the action. Just watching as Yang keeps concentrating on her arm. After about ten minutes, Yang feels the energy recede. She opens her eyes to look at them.

"I think it's done. I don't feel it anymore." Yang informs the rest.

"Well, that was fast. It usually takes about thirty minutes to finish. It generally depends on the person's aura. And how strong it is. Well done Yang." Glynda gives a nod and a small smile.

"So, Ruby? Do you think you are ready to give it a try? Yang's arm isn't fully healed yet. I told you it would take about a week before she's completely better. And that's because this process isn't instantaneous. Her bones are better, but still mostly broken. One more energy surge may do it for the arm. Depending on how good you do. And if you don't mess it up." Glynda smirks at her.

"Mmmph…" Ruby gives her a glare and pouts. "I'll do just fine! Just wait and see! Also, why not have Ozpin help with this as well? Wouldn't three be better? It could make it go faster, right?" Ruby asks as she walks to Yang's left arm.

"Well, yes. But having that much energy pumped into you in the span of 30 minutes or so would hurt Yang more than help her. It could tear her insides apart. That much energy is difficult to keep inside of you without it hurting you as it passes through your body. She needs time to rest. So we won't be helping her this way tomorrow. She will need a break." Glynda says, as she locks eyes with Yang.

"And you…" Glynda shifts her eyes over to Ruby. "Will need to start your shadow training soon. I think, since all of your energy for now, is being focused on Yang, that you should simply listen to Ozpin and I explain to you how it works to control it. You can't practice with your shadows if you're too spent to summon them."

"R-right! So I guess I should try this first." Ruby stutters, nervous about messing up.

"Just like with your shadows, use your emotions to pull up the energy within you. Think of why you want to heal your sister." Glynda smiles at Yang. It's a very knowing smirk. Yang looks away, blushing.

"Geeze…" Yang mutters.

"What was that, Yang?" Ruby asks, wondering what she's thinking about.

"N-nothing! Just…let's get this over with." Yang stutters, not wanting Ruby to pry further.

"Alright. Think on why I want to do this…" Ruby mutters to herself. Closing her eyes and thinking of Yang and how she feels about her being hurt. She blushes at the memory of the carnival again. The kiss she gave Yang on the cheek. She lights up in a deep blush and then she feels warmth around her hands.

She opens her eyes and the same energy from before is pulsing around her hands. "Ok, I did it. Now what?" Ruby turns to Glynda to ask.

"Now slowly place your hands on her cast and let the feeling of your reason flow into Yang. It will keep the connection stable. I didn't have this available to me when I did it, since I don't have an overly strong reason to help Yang." Glynda instructs, as she sees Yang look at her.

"Gee, thanks professor. You really care for me." Yang jokes, smiling at her. Glynda decides to answer seriously though.

"Well, I do care for all my students. It's just that, in order for the connection to be maintained this way, the bond has to be very strong. It can't just be a normal since of duty or obligation. You have to deeply care for the person." Glynda answers, smirking at Yang growing pink again. She also sees Ruby look down. She sighs internally. _'These two are ridiculous. It's so painfully obvious! Why don't they pay attention long enough to see it?'_ She shakes her head and looks to Ruby again.

"Ruby you can begin now." She puts her hand on Ruby's shoulder to get her attention.

"R-right! H-here I go!" Ruby jumps at the contact, and starts to lower her hand to Yang's arm. And keeps thinking about why she wants to help Yang.

' _Because…I…I love her…she's my sister. Of course I love her. I want her to be better because she's one of the only family members I have left…'_ Ruby thinks, sadly. She touches her hands to Yang's arm.

Yang immediately jumps from the contact. "OWW!" Yang's muscles clench at the jolt running through her. It's not the same as last time. It's even worse.

Ruby's hands get pushed back, away from Yang's arm. Like she was repelled by something. Glynda sees this. _'Oh dear, a rebound. She's conflicted in her reasoning. Probably lying to herself about why she's doing this.'_ Glynda shakes her head and pulls Ruby back a bit.

"Yang! I'm sorry! Are you Ok?!" Ruby tries to fight Glynda's grasp to check on Yang. But Glynda keeps a frim hold on her.

"Um…Yeah I'm fine. It just stung a bit is all. I didn't expect that. I think we could try again. I'm sure it was me jumping that severed the connection, right?" She asks looking to Glynda.

"Actually, no it wasn't. I think it would be best to stop here for the day. Ruby just needs to get used to the feeling is all." Glynda explains, lying. She gives Ruby a serious look. "We will go over this later. You need to go rest and do your homework. By the way. Ozpin had something delivered to your room when you and your team were gone. It's in your closet. I believe it will prove useful while Yang is in this condition. You will see what I mean when you find it." She says, then looks to Yang.

"As for you, Yang. You have some serious catching up to do in your studies when you get back on your feet. I suggest you ask someone for help. Your sister and the rest of your team are all great students. Maybe a study group would be beneficial?" Glynda crosses her arms while waiting for a reply.

"Yeah…I am not going to like all the makeup work. Crap, this sucks! I forgot about that!" Yang looks to Ruby. "Do you think you could help me, sis? I don't know about the group thing. I would prefer just us two, honestly." Yang mutters the last part, embarrassed.

Ruby shakes her head, still deep in thought about what caused the rebound and at hurting Yang again. "H-huh? What did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to study together after I get back on my feet. What's wrong, sis?" Yang gets worried for her.

"N-nothing. Just…thinking is all. Yeah, sounds good Yang!" Ruby shakes her head to rid it of the dreadful thoughts.

"Alright well, we should go Yang. You need your rest after this. Your arm should be closer to healing then the rest." Glynda moves to the door to remove the chair, no longer needing it and not wanting to explain to someone why it's there.

"Speaking of the rest…" Yang brushes the shoulder bite to feel if it's better like she thinks. No longer feeling the soreness or stinging of the torn flesh. "Hey! How 'bout that! It's almost completely closed." She says, as she feels the once tender area much easier to feel without wincing. "I'm already making progress thanks to you two!"

"Yes, well. There is still more progress to be had." Glynda says, as she looks towards Ruby. "We should go Ruby." They turn to the door and they then hear a knock at it. The door then opens and in walks a doctor.

"Hey, Ya-…Oh! I didn't know you would be here Ruby. And professor Goodwitch? To what do I owe the pleasure?" Dr. Williams asks, surprised by the visitors.

"Well, I was just demonstrating to Miss Rose that I can heal her sister faster. She was asking if I could teach her anything to help her sister and I told her my semblance could help." Glynda lies, smoothly.

"I see. I was under the impression that your semblance is telekinesis. How does your semblance heal faster?" The doctor asks, understandably puzzled.

"Well, that's part of it. My semblance has multiple uses. Some I would not like to discuss. Private reasons…" Glynda fakes a blush. Acting embarrassed.

"Oh…OH! I'm sorry Miss Goodwitch! I understand. Um, so did it work? The treatment?" Williams tries to change the topic for her 'comfort.'

"It did. It will take some more time, but I will continue to work on her. Her shoulder is almost closed up. I only do this because it is a small favor to Miss Rose. I can't do this for everyone. I'm quite busy." Glynda explains.

"I understand. It isn't your job to heal everyone in this infirmary. That would be ridiculous to ask of you, but thank you for helping Miss Xiao Long." He bows a bit, in thanks.

"That's quite alright. As I said it was just a favor. We'll be going now. I need to catch up on my work and Miss Rose needs to study." Glynda opens the door again.

"Of course, take care you two. Yang is in good hands." The doctor informs.

"Thank you, Dr. Williams. I'll be coming back to see Yang again in a few hours. After homework, I'm picking us up some food again." Ruby says, and then turns to Yang. "I'll be back soon Yang!" She waves as they step out.

"Bye sis! And thanks Miss Goodwitch!" Yang waves back to them before they slip out.

"Take care Miss Xiao Long. I'll see you Wednesday for the same procedure." Glynda and Ruby leave and walk back to the main campus.

"So how is your shoulder?" Dr. Williams asks. Walking over to Yang's left side to check.

"It's much better. My arm's a bit better too. Miss Goodwitch was very helpful." Yang answers leaning over for him to check the bandage on her shoulder.

He removes it to check, and the stitches almost need to come out already. "Wow. You're right. It is much better. It would have taken at least another week for this progress. That's some semblance of hers." He gives a low whistle, impressed.

"Yeah…It is." Yang thinks about the lie. _'But I wonder what caused that jolt I felt. Maybe it was more intense because I have a bond with Ruby? I don't know. Ruby seemed shocked about it. She probably just needs to get used to it like Glynda said.'_

Dr. Williams looks over her arm next. "So your arm is better?" He applies light pressure over the broken points to test her reactions. She winces like normal. "Hmm…Not much it would seem." He gives her a curious look.

"Yeah, she said she had a bit more trouble with the arm, it will take longer to heal than the bite." Yang answers.

"Ok, well everything seems to be alright. Just got to run the normal tests and I'll see you again tomorrow." The man says, walking to the EKG machine to check the status. She just nods. _'Man, Ruby's already learning so much. I hope I don't get left behind. I need to get stronger too, if I'm to protect her.'_

* * *

Glynda and Ruby part ways after leaving the infirmary. Ruby goes back to the lower class dorms. She walks in and notices that Granite is not there. _'Eh, he can't be here all the time.'_ She walks upstairs, seeing the elevator still busted. _'Man, when are they going to fix that?'_ She enters her dorm and sees no one in the living room or kitchen. She walks in the hallway to their rooms and approaches Weiss and Blake's room and knocks. "Hello? I'm back, guys."

The door opens and Weiss is there. "Hey, Ruby. What did Glynda want?" Ruby poked her head into the doorway and walked in. She could see that Blake was studying at her desk and the other one had the chair pulled out and books covering it like someone had just been there. Obviously Weiss.

"Hey, Weiss! Hey, Blake!" Ruby decided to greet them first, before answering the question.

"Hey, Ruby." Blake softly answered, looking up at her from her books.

"She wanted to talk to me about Yang. Apparently she has a semblance that is good for healing and is going to be helping Yang." Ruby decided to use Glynda's lie to make it more believable if Blake or Weiss ever asked Dr. Williams. "I went with her to visit Yang and watch her work." Ruby smiled at the two.

"That's interesting. Mind if I come next time to see Yang? She is my partner, I want to know she's Ok." Blake said, having another, not quite selfless, motive.

"Uh! I don't think that would be a good idea, Blake! Glynda doesn't want too many people there. Not even Dr. Williams. I was a special case since I'm Yang's sister. She says, too many people could get in the way!" Ruby slightly panics, if Blake doesn't buy this then her and Glynda could be in trouble.

"Uhm…Ok? You alright, Ruby? You seem, panicky?" Blake gives her a curious stare. Not thinking too much of Ruby being nervous. She's always nervous.

"Oh, yeah! I uh…just don't want to hurt your feelings. Saying you can't visit your partner and all. It's just during Glynda's visits though. We can both go visit her later today if you want. I'm going to get her food after I do my homework!" Ruby gets excited at the idea of seeing Yang again.

"Sure, Ok. That's sound good. Do you need any help? I'm almost done with mine." Blake asks, and then is interrupted by Weiss.

"I think I should help her. I'm her partner after all. I don't want her failing this early in the year and embarrassing the team." Weiss says, blushing pink.

"Right. That's the only reason." Blake smirks at her, shaking her head.

"Of course it is! Why else would I help the dolt?" Weiss defends.

"Hey! I'm not dumb. I was the smartest in my class at Signal!" Ruby screams indignantly.

Weiss waves her arms in the air, trying to take back what she said, while Blake laughs at their ridiculousness. "I didn't mean it like that! I-I-I'm sorry Ruby! Ughh…Shut-up, Blake!" Weiss turns back to Ruby from Blake. "Do you want my help or not?" She taps her foot impatiently, also still blushing embarrassed.

"Uhm…Maybe later? I have something I have to take care of first. I'll come back once I'm ready." Ruby says, remembering something Glynda told her.

"Alright, I'm almost done with my work anyways. I'll be waiting." Weiss tries to say nonchalantly, failing as she blushes. Ruby doesn't pay any attention to it as she's already walking back and Blake is still smiling but back to her work, half listening.

"Ok! See you in a bit!" Ruby closes the door and goes to her room.

* * *

"So, just because she's your partner, huh?" Blake says after Ruby leaves and hears Ruby's door close.

"Shut-up Blake! I just want to help my partner is that so wrong?" Weiss screams indignantly.

"Oh no. Unless there is an ulterior motive." Blake smirks at Weiss turning into a steaming tea pot.

"Oh like you're to talk! What about with Yang? You seemed pretty keen on seeing Yang as much as possible!" At seeing Blake look down and not have a response, Weiss continued. "Two can play at that game, Blake. I noticed."

"Damnit…" Blake mutters. Weiss smirks when she hears it.

"Look. Just don't do it in front of Ruby or her sister and I won't interfere with your thing with Yang. Deal?" Weiss reaches out with her hand.

Blake hesitates and looks at Weiss. _'Making a deal with a Schnee. Never thought I would see this moment.'_ Blake takes the hand. "Deal." They smile at each-other. Then go back to work.

* * *

' _So, in the closet, huh?'_ Ruby walks to her closet and opens it. She sees, in the back is a trunk that wasn't there before. It certainly wasn't hers, not that other people snooping wouldn't know, so it doesn't stick out to them. She opens it and discovers it's a mini fridge in disguise. Filled with **blood** **bags**.

"Oh! That makes since! I will need to feed in order to replenish all I use while healing Yang. And I can't feed off of Yang. That would be kinda pointless, she needs her strength. Man, blood bags just suck compared to Yang's though." Ruby mutters to herself, blushing at the admission and remembering them in the intimate position. _'It's not that I_ _ **like**_ _feeding off her. It just tastes good, that's all.'_ Ruby, continuing to talk herself from admission.

"Well, might as well get some while I know no one will come in." She goes to lock her door then comes back to pick up a blood bag. She uses the drip cord to pull the blood out and drink from it. _'Mmm…? Tastes like…? I don't know, bitter? Nothing like Yang's. It will have to do for now. I can't wait for Yang to get better.'_ She finishes the bag and feels much better. _'Wow, concentrating that energy in my hand really does take a lot out of you, even if it didn't work.'_ She puts the empty blood bag into the fridge again, needing the dorm to be empty to dispose of them. _'It would draw way too many questions as to why I have an empty blood bag in my possession.'_

She gets her desk ready to work. And then walks across the hall to knock again. Weiss answers and just walks out to the hall. "Ready?" Is all she says before walking to Ruby's room.

"Uh…yeah?" Ruby watches as she just walks in her room without her.

"What? Clearly you are if you came over. I see no point in waiting." Weiss explains as she blushes.

"Uhm…Right." Ruby follows her into her own room.

' _They're so cute. But why do I feel…like I'm left out or something?'_ Blake shakes herself out of her thoughts. Going back to finishing her last page of homework.

* * *

Ruby and Weiss study together. Ruby hard at work. Hardly needing any assistance of Weiss. Leaving Weiss plenty of time to think and look around the room. _'Is that a Beowolf plushy? That's so tacky. But what do I expect from Ruby. Nothing about her seems to make sense.'_ Weiss smiles at the thought. She then loses the smile when she smells the area. _'Wow, this room has the overwhelming smell of roses. I wonder why?'_ She thinks sarcastically. _'Why does she smell like that? Is it her semblance, or…? Never mind. Why can't I get my mind off her? She's just so…happy. And I guess I want that? I'm just envious is all. That has to be it!'_ Weiss is interrupted by the one causing her to think of such things.

"Weiss..? Hey, Weiss?" Ruby calls out a second time, receiving no answer the first.

"Huh? What Ruby? You need help on something?" Weiss finally responds.

"No..? I wanted to tell you I'm done. This was pretty easy, I didn't need any help. But thanks though, for taking your time." Ruby smiles at her at the end, showing she's sincere.

"O-of course, Ruby! What are partners for?" Weiss stutters at seeing the nice smile directed to her. She can't help but smile back.

"Well I'm going to go get Yang something to eat and then go to bed after a shower. It's been a pretty busy day!" Ruby gets up and stretches from the hour of sitting there working nonstop. Since she was just wearing her undershirt from her uniform, her shirt rose with her as she stretched, showing a six-pack.

Weiss caught it and couldn't help but stare. She only pulled herself from staring as Ruby walked behind her and towards the door, moving out of her vision for a second. She shook her head at the heat. _'What was that?! Why couldn't I look away?! I was like some pervy teenage boy!_ _Unbelievable! Snap out of this Weiss! This isn't how a Schnee should act! You are better than this. Get it together!'_ After her chanting she could hear Ruby calling to her.

"Weiss? Hellooo…Remnant to Weiss? Are you coming with us or not?" Ruby waves her hand in front of Weiss' face and it shook her out of her pep talk.

"Uh…What?" Weiss looks up at her and sees her and Blake at the door, of course the blackette is smiling.

"I asked if you wanted to come with us to see Yang. And get some food. You haven't eaten since breakfast, right? You should get something." Ruby looked at her worried. And Weiss blushed at the attention.

"Uh, that sounds acceptable. Where are we going?" Weiss asks as she continues to stare at anything but the girl with red and black hair.

"Haven't decided yet. I'm not really hungry, because I already ate." Ruby tells her, not exactly lying, then she looks to Blake.

"Blake, what about you? What do you want?" Ruby asks.

"I don't mind anything. What would Yang like? She's the one in a hospital bed." Blake asks, also wanting to know more about the blonde.

"Well, she likes meat a lot. A cheeseburger is probably her favorite food. She likes surf and turf though." Ruby thinks about it as Blake immediately chimes in after she finishes.

"Seafood sounds good! I mean…if Yang and Weiss are Ok with it?" Blake develops a blush, and looks down. Her bow deflating a little, but no one noticing.

Weiss, not seeing the bow, speaks up. "You seem to like your sea food. Why are you so embarrassed about that?" Weiss gives her a curious look.

"I…don't know. I just do." Blake shrugs and lies, still blushing.

"Oh well, I guess it is seafood then. Let's go!" Ruby says as she takes both of their hands and rushes to the door. Blake just smirks at Weiss blush as they follow after her.

They order their food to go and get Yang some fish tacos. After checking over the food, they head to the infirmary to surprise Yang that they all came to see her.

* * *

Yang is definitely surprised as Ruby hugs her and loses air at the crushing hug. She then returns the favor when Ruby gives out a squeal as Yang starts to tickle her. After a while, they all settle down and eat together. Ruby talks about how lucky Yang is about not having homework.

"It's not that bad. Don't you feel accomplished when you score perfectly?" Weiss asks, not understanding how someone so gifted would not want to use the gift.

"I do, it just gets boring after the first hundred times!" Ruby says throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"It does get rather repetitive." Blake chimes in.

"Can we not talk about homework while you're here? It's such a waste of time that could be spent on something important. Like who did you fight in sparring today, sis? "Yang gets a smile on her face at seeing her sister flying around gracefully.

"Oh! I fought Weiss! And I won!" Ruby says, pointing to her chest, proud of her victory.

"Yeah? Well it won't go the same, next time! I will beat you Rose!" Weiss yells, blushing.

Yang just laughs at the heiress getting worked up for nothing. "Good job sis! I knew no one could beat you!" She then looked over to Blake, not seeing her sister blush at the praise.

"What about you Blake? Who did you fight?" Yang just smiled at her, waiting patiently for an answer.

"Uh…Well, P-Pyrrha Nikos." Blake gets out, stuttering and blushing slightly. _'Damn, that smile of hers! I'm usually far more composed than this!'_

"I thought she looked familiar! She was the one in the woods right? The same one who is called the Invincible Girl or whatever? How did that go?" Yang asked worriedly, expecting a wash.

"I…I won." Blake replies simply. Looking down hiding her blush.

Yang's eyes widen. "You beat the Invincible Girl!? Wow! Way to go Blake! That's awesome!"

"It-it wasn't anything impressive." Blake mutters.

"Yeah right! You should have seen her Yang! She was so fast! Pyrrha couldn't even keep an eye on her!" Ruby screams, retelling how she beat Pyrrha. Always excited to talk about a fight she saw.

Blake blushes even more at the praise and how impressed Yang looks at her. Weiss does notice this time. But neglects to say anything, honoring their agreement. She just looks to Blake and gives her a smile. Blake smiles back and mouths a thank you when the others aren't looking.

They get ready to leave after a while and say their goodbyes. Ruby hugging Yang as hard as she can. Blake and Weiss just smiling at the two. Yang smiles back to them, and because of this Blake looks away. Not able to handle the smile again.

Yang frowns at it, noticing, but doesn't say anything. They leave and Yang gets time to think about it. _'That was weird. Did I do something to upset her? Maybe I should see if she wants to do something together when I get better?'_ Yang thinks before she goes to bed. She dreams of Ruby sleeping next to her like the first day at Beacon.

They make it back to their dorm rooms and head to bed after showering. Ruby dreams of Yang. Nothing Yang was doing was special, just her being there was comforting enough. Her smile and embrace. Telling her that she would always be there.

Blake dreamed of Adam finding her again. He tried to kill her but Yang was there to save her in the end. It didn't end innocent and sweet like Ruby's dream with Yang though. Blake's face was flush the entire night and even when she woke up.

Weiss dreamed of the future. Her being in charge of the SDC and having to marry some rich ass holes son. Then she dreamed of Ruby being there to ease her stressful and miserable life. Staying with her as any good friend would. The last thing in the dream she remembers is her confiding in Ruby that she doesn't love her husband. The dream ends with Ruby leaning in to kiss her. And she wakes up, blushing and in denial.

* * *

 **Nothing actually nefarious, I just wanted to spook you guys. "SPOOOKY!" Damnit Blaine Where did you come from!? xD Extra life viewers will get it!**

 **Blake and Weiss made a sort of pact. How nice. Let's see how long it lasts though! And come on Ruby stop denying your feelings for Yang!**

 **Please continue to review and tell me what you like and dislike it's the only way I improve! And to be honest I didn't feel to great about this chapter. It has a lot of body, but I feel like I just didn't do a good enough job on it. So please tell me how I did!**

 **Oh and one more thing! I removed the poll. There wasn't a need for it anymore. I have decided to do the one-shot. I have already got a summary of what happens in the one-shot! So look forward to that! Peace!**


	10. Just Visiting

**So this chapter is a thing. A bit shorter than the last 2, but still decent. Things are starting to happen now. Which is good. We are so close to 75 favorites, which is so close to 100! That's awesome! This story has only existed for 2 weeks and already up that high! Thank you guys For sticking with it! And as thanks, Here's some smut! That's right! By this posting, the one-shot is uploaded to my profile! Go check it out! It's called "Enabled" Super clever I know! Please keep all the praise for a great title to a minimum! xD**

* * *

Chapter 10: Just Visiting

Blake wakes up, panting and very embarrassed of the things she and Yang did in dream land. _'Wow…I need to calm down. I never thought I would actually like a nightmare. Especially when it involves Adam…But it wasn't Adam that I liked about it.'_ She smirks, thinking of her blonde partner.

She looks over to the other bed in the room. She sees the heiress still sleeping. Blake looks to the scroll on the nightstand. _'6:17 AM., huh? Too late to go back to bed then. Guess I'll just get up.'_

She quietly gets out of bed and pads over to the bathroom after getting her uniform from her closet. She looks down at herself after getting into the bathroom. _'ugh…That's just great. I need another shower.'_ She steps in the shower after taking off her dirtied underwear.

Weiss is awoken from her dream by the alarm going off. She hears the shower going, but thinks nothing of it. The last thing she remembers is Ruby confessing to her after Weiss said she doesn't love her husband. _'Ruby tried to kiss me…'_ Weiss noticed she was smiling when she tried to brush her own lips. She shakes her head back and forth trying to get rid of the 'impure' thoughts. _'Why am I happy about that?! I shouldn't be dreaming of a girl, let alone my own partner, trying to kiss me? It…it meant nothing! I just had some bad seafood is all! I don't want her to kiss me!'_ Weiss sighs aloud. _'But what about the rest of the dream? Married to some jerk I don't like! I won't let that happen. My father won't control my entire life! I refuse!'_ She is broken from her thoughts as the bathroom door opens up.

"Hey, Weiss. You sleep well?" Blake tries to maintain her composure, but is still blushing from the dream she had.

"Of-of course I did! Why wouldn't I?" Weiss stammers out. She then notices Blake's blush.

"It looks like you did as well." Weiss smirks.

"I…I did…I might need to wash my bed sheets today." Blake looks to her bed to see a small stain. And blushes furiously.

Weiss refuses to look that way, not wanting to see. "You really need to do something about you two, Blake. This seems to be affecting you pretty badly."

"I know, and I will. It's just…She's sooo hot! Literally and figuratively…" Blake blushes even more at the declaration. She's a tomato at this point. Blake takes a breath and calms down.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but at first, I figured you would have a problem with same sex couples. I know you aren't your family, but still you seem like you're too proper for that." Blake gets a devious smile. "Of course, that's before seeing you with Ruby." Blake laughs at Weiss burying her face in her bed.

"Shut-up, Blake! There is nothing happening between Ruby and I! I-I can't be…you know…" Weiss screams from her bed, then looks up to gesture to Blake lightly.

"What? Lesbian? I'm technically bi, Weiss. Thanks for profiling me." Blake gives her a faux hurt expression then just laughs as Weiss seems to think she was seriously hurt.

"I-I-I'm sorry B-Blake! Honestly I didn't mean t-to…" Weiss notices Blake laughing, stopping her from stammering. "Ughh! You're the worst!" Weiss throws one of her pillows at her in anger.

"Hahaha…I'm sorry, Weiss. I had to." Blake wipes a tear from her eye in mirth. "But seriously, I'm sorry for upsetting you. Look, if you want to try and get over your crush for her, that's fine. But I am going to make mine a reality today." Blake smiles proudly, having worked up the courage to finally ask Yang to hang out.

"You're seriously going to ask the brute?" Weiss stares wide eyed at Blake. "W-well, good luck, I guess."

"Thanks. You should think about getting to know Ruby better as well. Who knows, maybe it will help you figure out why you like her?" Blake shrugs, really just wanting her to be happy with Ruby.

"I don't know…I need to get ready for school though." She glances at the time and bolts up. "Make sure she's up!" Weiss rushes to the bathroom, to brush her hair and put on her uniform, gesturing to Ruby's room for Blake.

"Sure…" Blake walks to the hallway door.

* * *

Ruby slowly opens her eyes to the next day. The alarm blaring this time, not forgetting to set it like the first day. A smile still on her face though, as she snuggles further into the covers thinking of Yang holding her. _'I don't want to get up, Yang…'_ She sighs after a few minutes more of being warm and comfortable in Yang's imaginary embrace. "I should get up though. I'll be able to see Yang again if I do."

She yawns and stretches out her arms, shaking out the tiredness. Ruby smiles at Wolfy, and then gets up and goes to the closet to get her uniform to change. She gets ready for the day and walks over to the door after getting her homework ready. There is a knock at the door and Blake says hello.

Ruby just opens the door. "Hey, Blake! I'm already set for today! I set my alarm last night." She says, smiling at the secret faunus.

"Oh, Ok. Well I'm ready and Weiss will be soon. You want to wait in the living room?" Blake point a thumb to the main room.

"Sure, why not?" Ruby shrugs and continues to smile. They sit down on the couch and turn on the TV. Just the morning news. Talks of more missing people and White Fang activity. It gets Blake thinking.

"Hey, Ruby. What do you think of the White Fang?" Knowing that Ruby doesn't hate faunus, but what does she think of the White Fang? If she hates them, it could be bad if she gives out her secret. Ruby may be nice to nice people, but the way she attacked Cardin wasn't pretty.

"Oh, is this about what Velvet said?" Ruby looks to Blake, saddened. Blake just nods.

"Well, I know they used to be peaceful. My mom used to go to some protests. She was a big believer in equality." Ruby sighs internally. _'Mom wanted equality for another race while ours still had to live in the darkness. I'll make you proud mom.'_ Ruby shakes her head to clear the tears building.

"I know they have changed, but the faunus do deserve equality. They went about it the wrong way, but I can't really blame them. It really…I-I mean it must really suck to be feared or attacked just because you are different." Ruby stops herself from admitting that she is also living a similar life. She smiles sadly at Blake.

"Yeah, it must suck…" Blake doesn't catch the near admission. Only thinking about her own secret.

"Ahem…Sorry for interrupting. I'm ready now." Weiss walks in and clears her throat to signal she's there.

"Alright! Let's go get some breakfast for Yang and then its classes for the day." Ruby marches out of the dorm, headed for the cafeteria, putting behind her the last discussion with Blake. The others shake their heads and smile at each-other. They follow after their perpetually cheerful leader.

* * *

"Yang!" Ruby glomps her big sister. A soft "oof…" comes out of Yang.

"Hey." Ruby mutters simply, looking directly into Yang's lilacs.

"Hey." Yang returns the stare into Ruby's silvers. _'It's just not fair. She's right here, but I can't do anything! Move, body!...Damnit.'_ Yang curses internally as Ruby gets up from her hug and takes a seat. The others take a seat next to Ruby. Blake and Weiss smile and say hello to Yang.

Yang smiles back sadly, still thinking about Ruby. "Hey, guys. What's going on?" Wanting to get her mind off of it. It works. They start to eat as they talk.

"Uh…Actually, Yang. I wanted to know if you felt like hang out after school. You know when you get better?" Blake smiles a bit at her, still a little nervous. She starts to mess with her hands, twitching in embarrassment.

"Oh! Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing. We haven't done anything since we became partners, I figured we should get to know each-other better, you know?" Yang agrees.

"Yeah, that sounds good!" Blake agrees immediately. Bobbing her head up and down rapidly.

Weiss rolls her eyes, but sees Ruby to the side looking down. "You Ok, Ruby?"

Ruby looks up fast. "Huh..? Oh, uh yeah I'm fine! Just…thinking about something." Ruby looks back down deep in thought. _'Why does my chest hurt? It's that same feeling from when I got Yang food and I saw her smiling at Blake. What's wrong with Blake? I like her… I thought? She hasn't done anything wrong for me to dislike her, though. Whatever, forget it!'_ Ruby shakes herself out of her thoughts.

"Ruby? Are you Ok?" Yang looks to Ruby. Not liking the very upset feeling she had on her face.

"Y-yeah! I was just thinking. Maybe a partner day wouldn't be so bad! We could do it this weekend! We could use it to get to know each-other! What do you say?" Ruby looks to everyone, wanting them all to give their input.

"Sounds good to me." Blake says, first. She nudges Weiss on the shoulder giving her a nod to Ruby. The nod said, _'This is your chance! See if there is anything there. She wants to know more about you!'_

Weiss subtly nods to Blake. "Yeah, that sounds…great, Ruby!" Weiss gave a big smile at the end. Trying to seem happier and nicer to Ruby. Really it just looked odd, but no one said anything. Yang gave her a curious look though. Blake tried not to laugh.

"Alright! And Yang, what about you?" Ruby looks from Weiss to Yang. Wanting to know her answer.

"Uh…yeah, sounds good Rubes." Yang smiles a little to her. Something feeling off about this. But saying nothing.

"Well, we should go to class. Seeya later today, Yang." Blake waves to her as they walk to the door.

They all say their goodbyes and leave, except Yang. _'Ruby seemed to be down about something? I need to ask her later. If we can get two seconds alone with each-other! I really hate this place. Please hurry and heal me Ruby.'_

* * *

The others head to classes for the day. Nothing much happening, other than Cardin just giving Ruby the stink eye and her ignoring him. They finish sparring class. It was random singles. And Team RWBY won every match, unsurprisingly. Glynda called out to Ruby as she was walking to the door.

"Miss Rose! Could I speak to you for a moment?" Glynda gestures to her desk.

Ruby looks to Blake and Weiss and just shrugs. She waves bye to them and heads to the desk. "Is this about the…you know, training?" Ruby makes a tendril motion with her hands, demonstrating her shadows.

"It is. Let's go see Ozpin. We should do this in private." The professor moves to the door, not waiting for Ruby.

"Ok." Ruby just follows. They make it to Ozpin's office and enter. The headmaster is there at his desk, but he's not alone. A tall, skinny, kinda scraggly guy with 5 O'clock shadow sits on Ozpin's desk. He has dark hair and is drinking from a flask.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby latches onto his arm. "I missed you so much! What's been happening?! Are you Ok?! Why are you here? Do you know Ozpin and Glynda?! Do you-…" She's cut off from her shotgun questioning by her uncle. He puts a hand over her mouth.

"Geeze kid! I've only been away for…?" Qrow tries to answer, but can't think for how long.

Ruby answers for him. "A year and four months!" She screams in his face. "I was so worried about you! How was I supposed to know you weren't dead?!"

Qrow scratches the back of his head, looking down. Her, still latched on to his other arm. "Uh…wow, sorry kiddo. I forgot. I couldn't exactly just pick up my scroll and call you though, I was on a deep undercover mission."

"Which is exactly why he's here." Ozpin decides to interrupt the family reunion. "Qrow? What happened out there?"

"What do you mean?" Ruby asks, confused. "Uncle Qrow? How do you know Ozpin?"

"Well, kid, I've been working for the Counsel since I graduated Beacon." He gives her a sad face. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you kiddo, I couldn't tell you, though. It would have put your life in danger even more than it already is. Even more people want my head than you. The Counsel have made some bad enemies over the years, and I'm one of the people that keep tabs on them. And no I'm not a vampire, I prefer feeling my heart beating. No offense." Qrow gestures to Ozpin and Glynda.

They immediately answer in unison. "None taken."

"So, wait. You work for the Counsel and you have been since you graduated. Does that mean Mom and Dad were working for them too?" Ruby asks, trying to wrap her head around this.

"They were…After your mom died, Tai wanted nothing to do with the Counsel. That. I can understand." Qrow shakes his head at the thought of losing your wife, again. "Your mom was like me. Following an enemy of the Counsel." Qrow pauses and looks to Ozpin. Looking for the 'Ok.'

Ozpin nods. "We should have already told her, but complications occurred. Please continue." Oz puts his hand out towards Qrow, showing him he wants Qrow to continue.

"Right. Well, it turns out that not only was this person an enemy of the Counsel, but also an enemy of the Rose clan. Some big vampire lord that holds a grudge against the same clan that you were sired into." Qrow looks to her, worried.

"So, there the same person that killed mom…Why do they hate us?" Ruby shakes her head at the ridiculous hatred of a group of people.

"Because, Ruby. You're special. The same way your mom was special. In the Rose clan, whether you are born a vampire, or not doesn't matter. You still get the silver eyes. And it's those silver eyes that some vampire clans fear and despise." Qrow looks into Ruby's silver eyes, with sadness. The reason her life is in danger.

"What do my eyes have to do with anything?" Ruby looks to everyone wanting an answer. Ozpin speaks up.

"Ruby. Your eyes are the way they are because you have an ability no other vampire clan has. Your eyes represent that power. Ruby…your mom might not have ever told you the biggest weakness a vampire has. And that's because the vampires of the Rose clan have an immunity to this weakness." Ozpin takes in a deep breath.

"Blessed silver is fatal to a vampire, Ruby…" Ruby interrupts.

"But mom said that that was a lie! It was just a made up rule by humans. My mom's sword was a blessed silver weapon! How can that be?!"

Qrow stops her. "Your mom never said it was a lie Ruby. Just that it wouldn't affect you or her. The Rose clan blood gives you immunity to blessed silver. I would know. I've killed enough vampires with these weapons to know it's no joke." He shakes his head.

"You're one of the only vampires in this world that can touch blessed silver without it dealing serious damage. Any cuts made by these blades can never be healed by the vampire marred. It takes away one of the greatest strengths a vampire has. The ability to regenerate from any wound, as long as you have the energy of blood within you."

Ozpin smiles at Ruby. "A weapon like that. Well, that would make you one deadly vampire slayer."

"So, I can use it against them? What weapon do you have in mind?" Ruby asks, not hearing about any weapon she could use that she knows of.

"Well, we don't have one, yet." Ozpin gives Ruby a knowing look at her scythe.

She looks down, where his eyes are. "W-wait! You mean Crescent Rose? You want me to change her blade don't you?"

"It would be very beneficial, Ruby." Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow nod.

"J-just the blade, right?" Ruby gets nervous not wanting to replace her baby.

"Oh my Oum! Yes Ruby! Just the friggin blade… She is so attached to that thing." Qrow mutters.

"Well, I don't want to hurt her!" Ruby pets her scythe.

"She…won't be harmed, Ruby." Ozpin gives her an amused smile. "We are just going to replace the blade. We need the measurements of it first, though. That way you won't have to go without a weapon until the blade is ready to be swapped out."

"Oh! Ok. That's fine. You had me scared for a bit." Ruby smiles back, relieved.

She gives Glynda the dimensions of her scythe blade, even the other end of the shaft that comes to a spike.

"Ok. This should be ready in about a week for the blessed silver to be shaped and transported. This material, we can't have it lying around in the forge at Beacon." Glynda informs.

"Alright, that's fine as long as I don't have to part with Cressy. And that **I** get to install the new blades!" Ruby points at Glynda, making a point not to mess with the deal.

"Of course. That's fine." Glynda then turns to Qrow. "I believe you had a report before we came here?"

"That's right. As I was saying Ozpin. It's **her**. She's here, in Vale. I know it. The tracks led me back here. I believe she's working with the White Fang, as well."

Ozpin sighs heavily. "Oh no…This does not bode well." He frowns shaking his head.

"What do you mean? What's so bad?" Ruby tries to get their attention.

"The one who killed you mother…She's here in Vale. And we know who it is now. I can't believe **she** would kill Summer." Ozpin put his head down low, feeling so guilty.

"Who is it?" Ruby asks, about to either cry or get really angry, no one could tell which. Her fists clench so hard her nails cut into her skin.

" **Cinder** …The last person I have sired." Ozpin shakes. His face obscured by his bangs. "I'm sorry, Ruby…Your mother died because of me."

"Oz, you know that's bullshit! Cinder made her choice! She craved power and she got what she wanted, and now she's a monster. That's not your fault!" Qrow shouts, trying to convince his longtime friend and colleague.

Qrow was right, it wasn't his fault. Cinder chose to reject the ways of controlling your emotions. Feeding when she felt like it. It gave her unbelievable amounts of power. But the last time anyone saw her, she was slipping. Qrow refused to think what that monster had become was Ozpin's doing. There was hardly anything left of Summer's body, that bitch really did a number on someone that once looked so beautiful. Qrow shuddered at remembering stumbling upon Summer's remains after tracking her down.

His reverie was interrupted by Ruby's voice. "It doesn't matter who's to blame…It doesn't change the fact that mom is gone. If she's as bad as you say…Then you need to teach me everything. I need to be ready. Ozpin, please! If you feel responsible for your sired one, then do something about it and help me take her down!" Ruby yells, approaching his desk trying to get his attention.

He mutters softly. "As I would expect of Summer's daughter…being scolded about taking responsibility." He looks up at her smiling. "You're right, Ruby. I may have messed up. But I need to fix my mistakes. I was already planning on it, though. We will train as much as possible with your shadows, without interrupting your studies or plans with your team of course. I'm sure you at least want your sister with you to help, right?"

He knows Yang could not only be helpful in the fight against Cinder, but also Ruby would feel safer if she's next to her. Another reason he decided to accept Yang at his school.

"I…I think it would be best if she was there. I don't know about my teammates though. Do you think I could trust them? Telling them about what we are?" Ruby knows she must ask permission of the Counsel to tell a human about their existence first. And she's standing in front of the founder as she speaks.

"I will leave that up to you. Both Weiss and Blake have reason not to trust people. If you think they could handle the information, then I will leave it to your discretion." Ozpin nods his confirmation. Then gives her a serious look. "But if they don't take it well. And they threaten our secrecy. It will be left to you to end them." As soon as he says this, Qrow interrupts.

"Oz! You can't be serious!? You want her to kill her friends if they don't cooperate?!" He glares at Ozpin, making his niece take on such a task.

"I'm sure she knows how serious the Counsel is when it comes to keeping itself secret. Isn't that right, Ruby?" Ozpin gives Ruby a smirk, remembering how she didn't hesitate to try to take his head off before she came to Beacon.

"He's right, Uncle." Ruby speaks up staring back to Ozpin's smirk, giving him a grim nod.

"Ruby..?" The master scythe wielder can't believe his niece's words. Thinking what happened to the adorable little pipsqueak he taught how to wield a scythe.

" **If,** it comes to that. I will take care of it. But I don't plan on telling them just yet. I need to be sure they can handle it." Ruby gives her uncle a nod and small smile to assure him.

"Hmmh…If you're sure…" Qrow chuckles at Ruby, walking over to her to mess up her hair. "You've grown, haven't you?" He asks rhetorically.

"Well of course I have!" Ruby shrieks indignantly.

' _There's the pipsqueak._ ' Qrow just laughs at her, still messing up her hair.

"I think it would be best for us to get started on Ruby's training. She can only watch right now, though." Glynda speaks up. Wanting to get started as soon as possible.

"Why? Don't tell me she still can't summon them?" Qrow looks to Ozpin. Not wanting to believe it.

"I also didn't know she couldn't summon until now. I was under the impression that Summer taught her. I learned from Tai, this was not the case a few days ago." Ozpin gives him a serious look.

"I-I didn't know either Oz! I thought that after Summer passed that Tai would come to you for help in teaching her. I guess I underestimated his stubbornness." Qrow shakes his head in disdain. _'Bastard just can't let it go! It's not the Counsel's fault that both of his wives were bad ass huntresses till the end.'_

Qrow looks back to Ruby. "But you have learned now, right? You can fight with them?"

"I have! I swear! I just can't waste my energy right now. Yan…oh…uh oh..." Ruby gets really nervous, not wanting to tell Qrow she let Yang get hurt.

"What? What is it?" Qrow looks to them all to explain what he missed.

"Her sister received some excessive injuries and requires Glynda and Ruby to heal her using the Crimson Aura Technique." Ozpin informs. Knowing Qrow will have something to say about that.

"What?! You taught her that already?! Are you out of your mind? I know we're pressed for time, but that's a little extreme isn't it?!" Qrow looks to all of them like they have three heads each now.

"Of course we would never teach her this until she was ready. But she has a bond with Yang. It will ensure her that they will both be safe, at least for the most part." Glynda grabs his shoulder to calm him down.

"Mostly?" Qrow says, incredulously. "Oh, well excuse me for losing my head. She's only somewhat in danger of losing her own soul! She hasn't even been a vampire for 10 years yet! She's not ready for this!" He refuses their attempts to calm him down. Shrugging off her hand on his shoulder.

"I am ready, uncle! I can do this! And it's not like we have a choice. We need Yang back on her feet as soon as possible! She can help me get ready." Ruby tries to make him see reason.

"You're not ready for this, Ruby! You could die and get Yang killed in the process. I know you don't want that!" The black haired man yells, not backing down.

"Of course I don't! But I know I can do this! Ask Glynda! She believes me!" Ruby looks to the blonde professor.

"She…She can…" Glynda is interrupted by Ruby.

"See?! I told you I could-…" Glynda grabs Ruby by the arm to gain her attention and continue where she left off.

"She can, but she has a mental block. The bond she shares with Yang isn't a complete one. It's there, but I believe it is being blocked by Ruby herself." Glynda gives Ruby a knowing look and Ruby looks away blushing.

"What does she mean? Ruby? What is she talking about?" Qrow was a little lost. Did he miss something between his nieces while he was away for over a year?

"I…I…" Ruby continues but it's too quiet to hear for Qrow, not being a vampire. But the others heard and they grin widely at the admission.

"What was that, Ruby?" Qrow steps closer to hear better.

"I said I'm in love with Yang!" Ruby breaks down and falls to her knees, crying. She covers her face in shame.

"Oh…OH!" The only thing that comes to Qrow's mind to say. He smirks internally.

"Quite. Ruby has been in denial for…What I can tell, quite some time." Ozpin looks sadly to Ruby, pitying her for hurting for so long.

"I know…I know I shouldn't love her this way, b-but I can't help it! She j-just means so much to me! I can't l-l-live without her!" Ruby continues to cry into her hands.

"Well, Ruby. That was what was blocking you from helping your sister heal. You weren't honest with yourself for the reason you want to help Yang and the bond couldn't complete the 'circuit,' as you might put it. But now, as long as you don't bottle up the feeling, you should be able to heal her." Glynda lowers herself down next to Ruby to put her arm on her shoulder in comfort.

Ruby latches on to her, feeling terrible and deeply hurt by her own thought process. "But it h-hurts so much! I can't ever tell her how I feel! I'll just be on the side, seeing her with someone else, by m-myself."

"Why do you think that, Ruby? How do you know Yang doesn't feel the same about you?" Glynda asks her softly. Hugging her a little.

"W-what do you mean? How could she love me back? W-we're sisters." Ruby shakes her head, unwilling to get her hopes up.

"And? If you love her Ruby, then why can't she love you back? You have to at least try." The professor smiles at her.

"I-I can't! I don't want to her to leave! She would be disgusted if it didn't work!" Ruby continues to cry into Glynda's shoulder.

"Or, she accepts and you two get to enjoy the rest of however long you have together. The longer you wait the less time you have, Ruby. You need to make up your mind sooner rather than later." Glynda pats her on the back, trying to encourage her.

Ruby starts to sniffle, the tears drying up. "M-maybe you're right…But I don't think I can do it just yet." Ruby mumbles still depressed.

"That's fine Ruby. I have a feeling Yang will still be there for you when you're ready." Glynda smirks to herself, knowing Ruby can't see it.

Ruby just nods into her shoulder. Qrow looks down at his youngest niece and smiles. _'Well, damn. Looks like Tai owes me 20 lien!'_ He laughs internally, then gets down on his knees and hugs Ruby from the back.

"You're alright, kid. You'll be fine. Yang's not going to leave you just because of some crush. Yang's stubborn like that, you know." Qrow kisses her on the top of her head. And she finally smiles a little.

"Thanks, Uncle Qrow." The fledgling mumbles.

"Well, I'm very happy that that is taken care of. And I wish you the best of luck with Yang, Ruby. But maybe we should get started on your shadow training, and Qrow. You need to keep track of Cinder's movements. We can't let her catch wind of Ruby without us being aware. If this is to work, we need every advantage we can get." Ozpin calls out to get their attention.

Qrow straightens up first. Dusting himself off and looking to Ozpin. "Right, you got it. I'll keep you posted." Qrow starts to the door, then turns to look to Ruby as she gets up as well. "And pipsqueak? Tell firecracker I said hello for me will ya? I would like to see her, but I really need to get back out there." The drunk takes a draw from his flask after talking.

"I will, and will you stop with that!? You drunk! You're going to kill yourself with that." Ruby scolds.

"Yeah, whatever." The master scythe wielder just laughs and waves over his shoulder as he walks to the elevator. When the doors close. Ruby turns back to Ozpin at his desk.

"Shall we begin?" Ozpin gestures as he gets up to demonstrate with Glynda, how to control the shadows.

* * *

 **Oh! Druncle Qrow is here! And Ruby admitted her feelings. Too bad it was to the wrong family member. :p It's not going to be that easy!**

 **And for the silver eyes thing. I have created my own power for them. They no longer effect Grimm like the legend Qrow tells to Ruby would suggest. They are simply the proof that one is a Rose, and immune to blessed silver.**

 **Anyways, Please review and tell me how well I did or how I suck. Give me details on how to improve, not just flaming! Which I'm very surprised and thankful that it hasn't shown up yet! Don't forget to check out my one-shot! It takes place in the future of this story. But no spoilers or anything. You may read into things, but I have left no spoilers. Peace out!**


	11. Black and White

**Hello! Chapter 11 is here! I have mixed feelings about this chapter. I feel the beginning and end are pretty good, but the middle seemed to be lacking. Please tell me if something felt off. You guys might see what I don't.**

 **Also! I have started a sort of collab with blackace70! He gave me a story pitch and I'm gonna start it soon. It involves his version of a gender bent Ruby called Garnet, and a 'bully' Yang. The Garnet from this story is based on his Garnet from his story, "Strawberries and Lemons" Great story by the way. I know I plugged it before but seriously check it out! More details on it later when I start it.**

 **On to the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 11: Black and White

Glynda and Ozpin move to the center of the circular office. Spreading out to give each-other room to demonstrate their shadows to Ruby. Ruby leans against the front of the desk to watch as the call out their shadows, effortlessly.

Ozpin's, dark green and spikey. And Glynda's, purple and thin, like whips. Ruby was in awe at seeing them so clearly. She hardly got to see her mother's. And Ozpin's was only for a moment when she saw them in that white room. Their tendrils swayed, back and forth along their bodies, like they were waiting for something to intercept. Anticipating being used.

"Wow…So mine do that too?" The fledgling asks, referring to the agitated tendrils in wait.

"They will, in time. You need to get used to commanding them without having to think about it first. This is a type of, 'auto-pilot,' if you will. I'm giving them no commands right now, besides 'come out.'" Ozpin explains as he stretches his right arm out towards Ruby.

The tendrils on his right side advance towards her. They stop right in front of her. Again, just swaying back and forth, waiting. She gets a little nervous as they approach, but relaxes as they stay in front of her. She starts to reach her hand out to touch one. She looks to Ozpin to see if it's Ok.

He gives a nod. "Be careful, though. They are razor sharp." She nods looking back to the tendril.

She reaches out and pokes the flat top side of the shadow. Her finger passes right through it. She's puzzled as to why it's not solid. "Why does my finger go right through it?" She continues to poke the top.

"That's because it's made of shadow. It takes the form of a cloud, but the edges are far denser than the middle area. They save energy this way. This would be taught to you as well, if your shadows were like mine. Mine are wider than yours or Glynda's. " His shadows dance around her as she follows them around.

"Your shadows are whole, and thinner, Ruby. This is a good thing. When it comes to using your powers, being fuel efficient is most important. It's best to save your energy on maneuverability with speed, or healing if you get hurt. You can't change the shape of your tendrils, though. If this were possible then it would be far easier to save energy just by making them smaller like yours already are. I had to get used to making only the outside dense to save my energy. Our shadows are based off of our soul, as well as our vampire clan. Like a semblance, some are hereditary. Your clan's is hereditary." His tendrils pull back and wait beside him.

"So, what's next?" Ruby asks, excited to learn more about her best weapon for attacking and defending.

"I think a demonstration of how one fights with them would be best." Glynda says, looking to Ozpin.

"I agree, she should first know how to fight another's shadow." Ozpin steps back, away from Glynda to gain some space as they look to each-other.

The shadows continue to dance around them, waiting. Ozpin signals for Glynda to attack him with a nod.

She obliges and sends a single purple tendril at him. His shadow intercept, and they wrap around the purple one. More purple tendrils come down at him and they try to attack an opening created by the first. Ozpin pulls his tendrils, around the first, back to him to defend better and deflect them. The purple ones making whipping noises, while the green make slicing sounds as they block them one after the other.

Glynda tries to get around his defenses, but has no luck as, eventually, Ozpin sends a tendril to the side to pull on Glynda's leg and calls the match. The shadows calmly recede back to their hosts and they look to Ruby again.

"You see, Ruby. The shadows can be used for attack and defense. And you can control them independently from one another, as I have demonstrated by attacking Glynda's leg." Ozpin informs after the match, to a very excited Ruby.

"That was awesome! This is going to make my style of fighting so much better! I can just attack while dashing around!" Ruby gets so excited to learn how to fight with the tendrils as well as still fighting with Crescent Rose.

"Actually, Ruby. That's where the problem lies, fighting with the shadows. You can't use your semblance with the shadows without some danger." Ozpin shakes his head at her, showing he's serious. "It puts too much strain on the body and soul. It's why using your semblance with your vampire speed drains you so quickly. It's possible, but only as a last resort. As for fighting with your scythe, again it is possible. But hard to concentrate on other things while maintaining your control on the tendrils. If you must, you can train on this style, but it will be very hard to master."

The headmaster gestures to himself as he walks back to his desk. "I have decided to forgo this and spend my time training with just my tendrils, they are just as deadly as any other blade."

Ruby looks down, deflated at the realization. "Ah man!" She scuffs the ground with her boots with a frown and then looks back up smiling. She shrugs, accepting it but not quitting. "Oh, well. I guess I'll just make it work. There's no way I'm giving up on Cressy!" Ruby holds her fist up in determination.

"Of course. That is your decision to make. Now, these tendrils may take on the appearance of shadows, but they don't manifest from them. They come from yourself, you won't have to worry about not being able to use them if there is no shadow around. Whether it is in broad daylight or during the darkest of hours in the night. You will be able to use them as long as you have the energy." He sits down and takes his mug to drink from it, deeply.

"Yes, sir." Ruby notices his mug again. "By the way, professor. What's in that? It can't be coffee, right? Coffee tastes just like other human food, awful!" She sticks her tongue out in disgust.

He sets the mug down on his desk and looks at her with a small smile. "It's blood." He says, like it's the simplest thing.

Her eyes widen. "Wh-what!? You drink blood in front of your students?! But I saw steam coming from a mug the other day I was in this office with you?! Do you boil blood?!" Ruby yells, not believing her headmaster would be so bold as to drink blood in front of everyone who passes through here. Especially boiling blood. That sounds terrible, even for a vampire.

"No it wasn't boiling blood. Like every other vampire, we have to eat and drink things sometimes to keep up appearances. I heard you like cookies and strawberries? Well, I like tea." Ozpin smiles at her, as she is finally able to understand him.

"We all have different foods and drinks we like. But that doesn't make it any better on our bodies. You of course know what I'm talking about." Ozpin nods to her wanting her to share what she knows to make sure.

"Uh, yeah. We can't eat human food, it makes us sick unless we throw it up. We have to get by with foods that taste bearable, to keep up the appearance of being human. But liquids are different aren't they?" The red head explains what she learned from her mom.

"Correct." He nods to her, smiling. "We have little to no problem digesting liquids. It's food that is the trouble for us. Our body just has no need for solids anymore. And our bodies react to the unnecessary food by getting sick. But we all have different preferences on what foods and drinks we can manage with." Ozpin looks at the time, and it's approaching late evening. "Well, Ruby. I think that that shall be all for today. I believe you have a sister to see and homework to complete.

"Oh! Right! I should get going. I'm sure Weiss and Blake are wondering why I've been gone for…" She checks her scroll for the time. It was 5:30 when she left with Glynda to come here. "…almost 2 hours! I need to go! See you tomorrow to help Yang, Glynda!" She gets out as she rushes to the elevator.

"Don't forget classes as well, Ruby. I'll see you in sparring class." Glynda shakes her head at the spazzy fledgling.

* * *

Ruby races to the dorms. Breezing past a startled Granite, in a flurry of rose petals. She chirps out a, 'hey Granite!' Then continues to her dorm. She walks in and sees Blake on the couch reading a book, the same one form Port's class.

Blake immediately hides the book in her lap, face down, not showing the title. "Oh! Hey Ruby! H-how did it go with Glynda!?" Blake stumbles over herself, trying to get off topic before Ruby can question the book.

"Hey, Blake! It went fine. I did some leadership stuff with Ozpin. No big deal!" Ruby lies, smoothly for once, or Blake is just too flustered to notice.

"That's great!" Blake says, not knowing what else to say. Just sitting there, holding her book smiling at Ruby. She starts to fidget, nervously.

"Uh…Ok? Anyways, do you want to go get some food? And I'm sure Yang would like the company if we go see her as well." Ruby shakes off Blake's weirdness and adopts a smile again.

"S-sure, that sounds good. Let me just…go get Weiss." The secret cat faunus stutters, then finds a reason to go to her room to put her book away. She gets up from the couch and heads to her room shared with the heiress.

She knocks, honoring the agreement. And enters after she hears the Ok from Weiss. Weiss walks out of the bathroom, in a towel, having just showered.

"What's up?" Weiss asks, seeing Blake look flustered. "You Ok?"

Blake stashes her book under her bed and then looks to Weiss to answer her. "Uh, yeah. Ruby just got back. She asked if we wanted to go to see Yang. You wanna go?" Blake calms her blush from the embarrassing situation with Ruby. _'I was just at a really good part, too!'_

"That's fine, I just need to get ready. What about you?" Weiss goes to her closet to find something to wear. She decides on her combat skirt.

"I'm just going to put something on a little nicer than my uniform. Do you mind if I change in the bathroom?" Blake asks looking through her closet. She finds a nice white overcoat and tall black heeled boots. The front of the outfit leaves quite a lot of skin open.

"I suppose that's fine." Weiss sees the outfit she picked out. "Are you planning on going somewhere else? Because it looks like you're dressing to impress, Blake." Weiss snickers at the blush working back up on her roommates face.

"I-I don't know. I just thought it looked nice is all." Blake tries to cover up the truth, but she was constantly looking away from Weiss. It was obvious. Blake rushes to the bathroom door to get away from the conversation. Weiss just laughs some more as she gets ready in the room.

Weiss calls out to Blake, getting her attention. "You know there's no reason to hide it from me. You can talk to me about it, just as I would expect to be able to talk to you about…you know." Weiss trails off, wanting Blake to understand without outright admitting it.

"Um…Yeah. I guess so. You know, Weiss. I had my doubts about being on a team with you. But I gotta say, I'm liking it more and more every day. You're actually a nice person, Weiss." Blake finishes changing and steps out after knocking to see if Weiss was done as well. She gave the Ok to enter.

Weiss was slipping on her heels while sitting on her bed. She looked up to Blake, smiling at what she said. "W-wow, Thank you, Blake! That's…really sweet." Weiss blushes at the compliment.

"Well, I mean it. And if you want to talk about Ruby I'm free any time." Blake gives her a small smile at the blush. "We should get going. I'm sure our leader is restless right now." She walks to the bedroom door and opens it. Weiss soon follows and they go to the living room. They see Ruby lounging on the couch, watching the TV.

"Oh! Hey guys! You ready?" Ruby chirps out as she gets up, excited to go.

"Well, you certainly are." Blake jokes. She gives Ruby a smile.

"Well, I was thinking we could get Yang something to eat at the cafeteria. She seemed to enjoy it last time." The red head was hopping in place, impatient.

"Ruby, calm down! Your sister isn't going anywhere." Weiss shakes her head, but smiles at her relentless energy. "And I agree. We could all use some food I'm sure. We haven't eaten since lunch in between classes."

Ruby speaks up again. "I uh…Already ate after seeing Glynda. I'm fine. But yeah good idea. If you guys need to eat, go ahead!" She smiles and nods to them, confirming her response.

"Alright then Ruby lead the way." Blake gestures with her arm for Ruby to open the door.

"I thought you'd never ask! Let's go! I'm sure Yang is hungry by now." Ruby chirps as she runs to the door.

Ruby opens the door and steps out. She sees most of team JNPR just exiting their own dorm. All but Jaune, who is still in the hospital.

"Hey guys! Are you on your way to see Yang? We were just going to see Jaune. Ooh! Let's go together!" Nora yells to Ruby and the rest as they step out. She dashes off, not giving time to refute. Not that they would, they haven't seen Jaune in a few days. They might want to check on him, see how he's doing.

Ruby skips ahead of both groups, trailing behind Nora. "Hey! We were actually going to the cafeteria to pick up some food. Yang, understandably, hates the hospital food. So we're getting her some too! We'll see you at Jaune's room!"

Weiss sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "She just has to leave immediately, doesn't she?" She mutters to herself. "Ruby! Wait up! You're too fast!" The monochrome duo wave to the other team as they chase after their leader.

"I guess we aren't the only ones who have to deal with a ball of energy?" Pyrrha laughs, looking to Ren. He just sighs and nods. Always a man of few words.

* * *

Ruby, Blake, and Weiss end up at Yang's room after getting some food.

Ruby wastes no time hugging Yang when they enter. "Yang!" She squeezes as tight as she can, without hurting Yang. She buries her face in Yang's chest. Blushing at the thought of it. _'It feels so good to no longer hold back! But it's still too soon to tell her. I'll just…pick my moment after she's healed. I have to try!'_ She smiles into Yang's warmth.

"Hey, Ruby. Wow! I guess you missed me." Yang blushes at the strong hug to her chest. She smiles softly at her sister and hugs back.

Blake and Weiss take their seats, not wanting to interrupt the sisters. When Yang and Ruby come apart, Blake speaks up. "Hey, Yang. You doing Ok?"

Yang looks to her partner and sees the new outfit. "Wow, Blake! That looks great on you!"

Blake blushes and looks away at the compliment. "T-thanks, Yang."

Yang just continues on, not caring about the blush. "I've been doing Ok. Just bored! I can't wait to get out of this dump. I'm looking forward to partner day." Yang smiles at her partner.

"Y-yeah…Me too." Blake finally looks back to smile to her.

At this point, Ruby has been watching the interaction. Wondering what's going on. _'Does Blake…? No that's crazy. She just isn't good at accepting compliments. Weiss is the same way.'_ She's snapped out of her thoughts by her sister.

"Ruby? You Ok? You look like you're thinking pretty hard. Mind telling me what it's about?" Yang looks to her sister, worried, just wanting to help.

The fledgling shakes her head and smiles at Yang. "No I'm fine, sis. Thanks for worrying."

"Of course Ruby. I'll always worry about you." They stare into each-other's eyes for a moment.

Ruby breaks it first, getting a bit flustered at the attention. She's more susceptible to this now with how she accepted her feelings. "Uh, So, Yang! We got you some food. I hope you like it. It's the cafeteria's spaghetti and meatballs." Ruby hands her the box. Trying to cover up her blush.

Yang opens it and smells the Italian spices. "Mmmh…This smells great! Thanks guys!"

Yang starts to eat when Blake and Ruby call out. "You're welcome!" In unison. They look at each-other. Then Blake looks away, flustered. She thinks she was too obvious. And Ruby just looks at her puzzled. _'Ok that was weird? Still it can't be though. She hasn't known Yang for a week how can she already like her? I'm just imagining things.'_ Ruby looks back to Yang and laughs off the awkwardness.

Yang shrugs it off and digs in. The other's slowly follow. Weiss was watching the whole thing though. _'Oh my, Blake. You are a mess. I wonder if this is what I look like when I'm with Ruby.'_ Weiss ignores the thoughts and goes back to eating.

Ruby remembers who she saw at Ozpin's office today and decides to tell Yang. "Oh, Yang! Guess what!"

"What?" The blonde smiles at her sister encouragingly.

"I saw Uncle Qrow! He was with Ozpin! He apparently works with him. Isn't that cool?" Ruby yelled and threw her arms up in excitement.

"Qrow was here? What did he say?" Yang asks, wanting to know what her uncle has been up to in the last year.

"He told me to tell you hello. And uh…That's it! He just needed to see Ozpin and then he talked to me for a bit and told me to tell you hello! That's it!" Ruby got really nervous about almost admitting that they talked about her feelings for her sister. It was all over her face, that something was up.

"Uh huh…" Yang muttered, unconvinced. _'Maybe it's something that can't be said in front of the humans that are unaware. She did say that Qrow works for Ozpin. It might have to do with vampire stuff.'_ Yang decided to give Ruby a break. "Ok Ruby. We can talk about this later then." She smiles at her little sister.

"R-right! Later! Good idea!" Ruby bobs her head up and down.

"Who's Uncle Qrow?" Blake asks, never hearing from them about other family members. Which was fair. They have only known each-other for four days. Saturday being the initiation. She looks to Yang for the answer.

"He's this badass huntsman that also happens to be our uncle! He taught Ruby to fight with a scythe." Yang, answers happily, looking to her sister as she smiles at remembering the training.

"So he's the one we can think for giving Ruby such a dangerous fighting technique?" Weiss inquires looking to Yang from her seat next to Yang's bed.

"Hey! It's perfectly safe, as long as you aren't the enemy." Ruby shouts indignantly to Weiss, then smirks at her from beating her in the arena.

"You got lucky, Ruby! I just let my guard down is all! Next time will not be so easy!" Weiss shouts, embarrassed. She crosses her arms and huffs in a pout.

"Sure I did, Weiss. We'll have a rematch some time and I'll prove it to you." Ruby gives her a smile that shows she's serious but not being arrogant. Weiss just mumbles under her breath about winning next time, blushing at the smile Ruby gives her.

They finish their food and Ruby remembers to check on Jaune. She gets up and goes over to hug Yang and tell her bye. Yang returns the hug as best she can with one arm and waves to them as they file out.

"Bye! See you tomorrow!" Yang smiles to Ruby more than the group, as they leave. They return the goodbye. Ruby, giving a big smile to Yang as they walk out.

* * *

They head to the other wing on the same floor and find Jaune's room. They walk in hearing a man shouting 'Nora!' They immediately know it's Ren.

"What has she done now?" Weiss asks. She gets a few hellos first, before Jaune answers her question.

"Ren just found out that Nora drank all of the syrup in the kitchen." Jaune shakes his head at all the sugar.

"The entire bottle?" Blake asks, just taking a seat on the far wall. The other seats next to the bed taken by the other team.

"More like, bottles!" Ren yells. "That was meant to last the week! Even including Nora! Now I have to go to the store tomorrow to pick more up. You're cut off for the rest of the week, Nora!"

Nora was literally bouncing off the walls at this point. Everyone having to duck or move out of the way to avoid getting hit by the speeding bullet. But at hearing she was being cut off, Nora abruptly stops and stares at Ren.

"What!? You can't mean that, Ren! I need it!" She sheds crocodile tears to make herself more believable. It doesn't work.

"I said no more, Nora! Now calm down and sit still, or I stop making pancakes for the week as well!" Ren points to the chair next to him and gives her a glare.

All that comes out of her audibly is an, 'eep' and she sits down. Ren's serious if he threatens to stop making pancakes. The usually mellow young man releases a deep breath and calms down.

"Well, alright then." Ruby shakes her head at the odd display. Thinking that Ren seems more like a dad to her then a friend.

"How's the leg, Jaune?" Ruby points to his cast. She smiles at him while taking a seat next to Blake.

"Hey, Ruby. It's good. Pyrrha told them about the medication they were giving me for the pain was making me too loopy so they cut back on the dosage. The pain has gone down though. I hardly feel it anymore." Jaune looks to Pyrrha on his left side. "And as a bonus I no longer feel the sting from the slaps I receive, for what doped up Jaune says, from Pyrrha." He chuckles as Pyrrha gets embarrassed.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha gets out, looking down, more out of embarrassment than sadness.

Jaune and the rest of the room smile and laugh at her embarrassment. "It's Ok. I don't blame you. I probably said some messed up things. I really don't want to know what I said though. It's happened before and it's usually embarrassing." Jaune chuckles awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, you mean, 'Pyrrha was like my prince charming!'" Ruby mimics Jaune's voice and she laughs, holding her sides as the pair light up in a blush.

Jaune tries to change the subject quickly, not wanting to be reflexively slapped by Pyrrha. "Uh…Uh…H-how's Yang doing?! Is she recovering well?" He asks the remainder of team RWBY.

While Ruby calms down from her laughter, Blake answers for her. Not fully getting the prince joke. "She's doing well. Ruby says that professor Goodwitch is healing her and will be better by next week." She smiles, thinking about finally being able to go on a da-…day out with Yang. Blake blushes and looks down so no one can see.

"What?! She gets released before me? Ah man! That's not fair." Jaune grabs his head in frustration. Then looks to Ruby. "Is there any chance that she would heal me too? I really don't like it here. I have a male nurse giving me a sponge bath." Jaune mumbles.

Ruby, having calmed down from the laughing, answers him. "Sorry, Jaune, but Miss Goodwitch is very busy. She's helping Yang as a favor." Ruby shrugs.

"Ah man…" Jaune sighs at his helplessness. But then sees something that makes him happy again. "Hey, Weiss! I'm glad you could come! So you do care about me, huh?" He puts on a cocky grin and tries to look impressive.

"No." Weiss immediately shoots him down. Crossing her arms and looking away with a scowl.

Blake chuckles. _'You're barking up the wrong tree there, Jaune.'_

Jaune whimpers after being shot down. A certain red head to his left smiles though. They talk for a bit longer. Bringing up their strange classes and even stranger professors. When Ruby suddenly remembers she still hasn't done homework for any of her classes.

"Oh crud! I have to do homework! I'm sorry guys, I have to go!" Ruby chirps a 'bye,' as she blurs to the door and leaves.

"Uhg…Of course she forgot! Let's go, Blake. She may need help." Weiss gets up to leave, Blake right behind her. They both give and apology and wave bye as they leave.

* * *

When the monochrome duo make it to the dorm, Ruby is already in her room studying. They open the door and see her hard at work. She doesn't even notice them. Too focused, trying to finish before ten PM. She only has an hour left to do all the homework of several classes.

Seeing this, Weiss hesitates to go in and help. _'She's trying really hard. I think I would just get in the way. She didn't need my help last time…She can handle it…that dolt.'_ Weiss smiles and turns around to see Blake standing there with a smirk.

"Sh-shut-up, Blake!" Weiss whisper yells, trying not to interrupt Ruby's concentration. She blushes at being caught staring.

"I didn't say anything. Let's go, I have a book to read." Blake smiles softly to Weiss, as she gestures for her to follow her to their room. She opens their bedroom door and gets her book from under her bed. She gets back up and turns around to see Weiss turn on the holo-TV. Finding it odd that _Weiss_ would want to watch TV, she asks her about it.

"I just wanted to check the news." Weiss shrugs giving her answer.

Blake shrugs as well, accepting the answer and takes a seat next to Weiss in the other black leather chair in front of the TV. She opens her book to where she left off. The news drones on. Just comfortable background noise to Blake. But something catches her attention suddenly.

"…Tacked by the White Fang this afternoon when they found a local White Fang cell's hide out. Several casualties by local law enforcement were reported as there were no hunters in the area to aid in the shootout. The downtown areas of Vale are getting more and more dangerous by the day it seems. We strongly urge everyone to stay away as much as possible from this area…" The news reporter goes on, but Blake's concentration is cut off by Weiss, beside her.

"I can't believe them! They killed an entire group of police officers! They're monsters! How do they think what they're doing is right when they kill people who are sworn to protect the peace that they are striving for!?" Weiss is utterly furious at the murdering of brave, ordinary people, who try and be heroes in this world that is filled with people of extraordinary abilities. Both good and evil.

Blake remains quiet. Getting really uncomfortable at how right she is. Why didn't she leave them sooner? Why did it take her so long to see what they were doing was so wrong? These questions were choking Blake as she tried to find peace with it. Of course she knew the answer. She was the partner to the reason. She was manipulated into thinking it was alright. That they were the heroes. And the humans just wanted to suppress them. That as long as she stayed at his side everything would be alright. But she could see the changes happening. In the organization and in him. He was the monster now. Velvet's words from before were coming back to her. They were just causing more hurt in the world. Blake muttered aloud. "You're right…"

"Of course I'm right! Who would agree that murder is Ok?" Weiss answers, not understanding she wasn't talking to her.

"…Yeah, I'm tired after today. I think I'll just shower in the morning. I'm going to bed." Blake mumbles out as she shuffles over to her closet to get her bed clothes.

"Uhm…Ok? Blake are you alright?" Weiss turns off the TV and asks at seeing her friend so down.

"Yeah. Don't worry. I'll be fine. I just…don't like hearing about the White Fang." Blake says quietly. She enters the bathroom to change.

* * *

Weiss walks to the closed door and stands there looking at it as if she was still talking to Blake. "I'm sorry I brought it up by turning on the news then. I didn't mean to upset you, Blake."

Blake couldn't see Weiss' face, but she could hear the sincerity in her voice. Blake smiles to herself at how nice Weiss really was. She had her pegged so wrong before. "Thanks, Weiss. But you're not to blame."

Weiss turns around and leans her back on the wall next to the door. "Do you…want to talk about it? I don't really know what I could say, but if the White Fang did something to you. That's something we have in common." Weiss trailed off in a sad voice. Remembering all the board members and relatives that went 'missing' from her families company.

"What happened?" Blake's voice came out from the bathroom, sounding quiet, like she didn't actually want to be heard in fear she may be going too far by asking.

"…" It takes a while for Weiss to muster up the courage to talk about it, but she does eventually. "My families company is not the friendliest when it comes to faunus. As you know. A lot of people from the SDC have been targeted by the White Fang because of this. Board members, other business partners, even direct family members…" Weiss swallows the lump in her throat. It was building out of sadness. She didn't want to recall this story, but if it would make Blake feel better by having someone else who shares in the pain, then she would share.

It was such a weird thing for Weiss to want to do, share. She had always relied on herself through all her life, until she got to Beacon. Winter occasionally helped when she could. But she was almost never around. Winter was in the same place as she was. Having to train every day to become the perfect heiress for her father's company. They hardly ever got to see each-other. So maybe it was because she never had anyone to share with, that she never did.

Weiss finally continued after summoning up the courage. "…My uncle. He was a very nice man. Always proud of my sister and I. He may have been…a little prejudice against the faunus, but he wasn't like my father. He didn't deserve what happened to him." Weiss stifles a sob. "I learned the next day. He and his family, his wife and son, were murdered. Assassinated. The White Fang did it under the cover of night. Their night vision made it all too easy." Weiss can't hold back the tears at this point. Her seven year old cousin was killed in cold blood. For something someone else did. She couldn't understand why, how someone could do that.

* * *

Blake opened the bathroom door. She heard the crying and grabbed Weiss. She brought her into a hug. Weiss, instead of shying away from physical affection, latched on to Blake for dear life. She cried into her neck.

Blake could only hold her, rub her back with her hands. But she couldn't make the pain of losing family go away. She could only mutter her apologies. Feeling terrible that the organization that she grew up in could do something like this.

Sure the SDC were no better. Making faunus children work for practically nothing. But two wrongs don't make a right. It took her too long to learn that. And she's seeing that now, as she holds her teammate in her arms. Holding such a once proud person as she balls her eyes out at losing family for something that they were hardly a part of. Blake moves her to her bed to sit on. Keeping her arm around her to hold her up and keep comforting her.

Weiss' crying starts to die out as she cries herself to sleep in Blake's arm. Blake smiles softly to her at seeing that she's finally at peace. She picks her up, bridal style, and moves her to a better position on her bed. As soon as she lays Weiss down in her covers, there is a knock at the door.

Ruby opens the door and sees Blake beside Weiss. Weiss, sleeping soundly in her bed, clutching Blake's yukata. "Oh! Sorry I didn't know she already went to bed. I just came to say goodnight." Ruby starts to get quieter as she goes on, not wanting to wake up her partner. Ruby rubs her arm awkwardly.

"Its fine, Ruby. I just put her to bed. She…fell asleep watching the news. So I carried her to bed." Blake lies for Weiss. Still smiling at her peaceful face. _'You know, she would look so much better if she would stop scowling all the time like she does now.'_

"Oh, well alright then. Thanks for looking after my partner! Goodnight, Blake." Ruby continues to whisper yell.

"Goodnight, Ruby." Blake smiles to Ruby as she looks over to her leader. Ruby closes the door and goes to bed.

Blake starts to get up, but is stopped by the hand on her robe. She laughs lightly, and starts to remove the hand so she can go to her own bed. Weiss mumbles though, as she starts to lose contact with the clothing.

"Please, don't go…" Weiss is still asleep, but the words are clear. She continues to clutch at the yukata, not wanting to lose the warmth near her.

Blake sighs. She could easily remove the hand if she really wanted to. But the scared face on Weiss of being left alone was too much. It shouldn't be too bad. The morning however, well that was going to be fun. Blake smiles at the thought then slips into the covers, next to Weiss on the other side of her, where there is room. Weiss rolls to the other side to continue clutching Blake's clothing, needing the closeness to comfort her.

Blake, feeling awkward of the positioning, slowly puts her arm around Weiss. And the heiress snuggles closer to the warmth. Blake puts her head above Weiss' and closes her eyes to sleep. It didn't take long. For being called the Ice Queen, Weiss was actually not that cold. Not uncomfortably so, anyways. They both fell asleep with smiles on their faces. The morning, however, that was going to be a different story.

* * *

 **Aww...They slept so peacefully together. I bet you twenty bucks that Weiss screams at the top of her lungs when she sees she slept with Blake! What do you mean its rigged because I know what's going to happen already? You're just chicken! xD**

 **I hope the food thing made sense. Vampires can enjoy certain foods specifically to their liking. Like for Ruby its cookies. But it's still bad for her to fully ingest it. As for liquids, it's mostly Ok. Sense their bodies still need to digest blood intake as their main source for nutrients, they can digest other liquids as well. But it's like eating too many vitamins, your body just flushes all the excess nutrients as extra waste. So only eating is a problem for them.**

 **Please continue to review and tell me if I made a mistake somewhere. Thanks so much for all the help! This story wouldn't be nearly as good as it is right now without all your help! With that said, 132 followers! That's awesome! And nearly 10,000 views! Thank you to everyone who is still keeping up with the story! Peace!**


	12. Confrontation

**Hello! I'm sorry it took a longer to get out than usual. I was working on a one-shot collaboration with Blackace70. It's out now and it's called, "The Dragon's Rose." He came up with the story idea and I wrote it. He has also started on his sequel of sorts to the story. Go check it out! It's called, "The Dragon and Her Rose."**

 **I'm only slightly mad that I have to re-edit this chapter and re-type my A/N. As soon as I was done with the last A/N at the bottom, I hit save and it said an error occurred. Damn you FanFiction!**

 **Anyways, onto the story!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Confrontation

 **Weiss was in her bed, soundly asleep. Another day of training with her instructors and learning from her private tutors per her father's instructions. She awakes with a start. Hearing something fall in the hallway to her room. She sleepily goes to the door after putting on a robe, rubbing her eyes from her sleep, and opens the door. It's still dark out, so she can only see in the dim moon light that makes it through the windows at each end of the hallway and the sparse lights that are always ensconced on the walls.**

 **She makes out a shimmer coming out of a doorway down the hall.** _'That's Winter's room.'_ **The moon light reflects off of the surface and she notices the sheen is from a blade. A long, thin blade. With blood on it.**

 **The figure steps out of her sister's room and starts to walk towards her. She should be hidden. She didn't make any noise, stepping out of her room and it's nearly pitch black around her.** _'He can't see me…can he?'_ **The figure gets closer and steps into the moon light. The figure is still somehow shrouded in darkness. She can't make out any features, except two horns hiding in his hair and his sword, still covered in blood.**

 **The figure flicks his blade off when he steps into the light. "That's one Schnee down, three more to go." As the figure speaks, he gets a manic grin on his face as he looks right at Weiss.**

 **Weiss freezes up.** _'What did he say? He…he can't mean Winter!?'_ **Weiss starts to shake. Not able to look up from the floor as she quakes in terror, falling to the ground. The figure gets closer. He raises his sword when he hovers right in front of her. Weiss waits for the blade to come down on her. She waits…But nothing. She looks up and suddenly there is another figure, shrouded in darkness. But between Weiss and the other one. Their blades are clashing. The new one is pushing the first back as Weiss finally finds the strength to stand. The new figure finally ends it and strikes down the first. The shadowy figure falls and vanishes as if it wasn't there.**

 **The new one turns around to look at Weiss. Weiss freezes up again.** _'Maybe they just wanted to kill a Schnee for themselves? I can't just trust some stranger!'_

" **Who are you?!" Weiss calls out, not trusting the humanoid who just saved her yet.**

" **You know who I am, Weiss. I'm just happy I could make it in time. You're safe now." The figure calls out in a feminine voice. They step back into the moonlight and they aren't a shadow anymore. At least, not completely. Their hair is still as dark as the night sky. They wear clothes that blend into the shadows. But the figure is easier to read now. They are definitely female. From the curves, to the legs that go for miles. But what draw Weiss' attention the most are her eyes. Glowing amber orbs that seem to glow even more in the moonlight beside her.**

 **She sheaths her sword and places them both, her sword and sheath, on her back. She recognizes the blade and sheath combo now. Gambol Shroud.**

" **Blake!" Weiss gets a smile on her face at seeing her friend come to rescue her.**

" **It's good to see you Weiss!" Blake smiles back and she rushes to give her a hug. Weiss accepts the hug with no trouble, surprisingly. Weiss just smiles into her friends shoulder. "You're alright aren't you?" Blake asks, still worried about her.**

" **I am now." Weiss mumbles into her shoulder, still smiling. Blake starts to pull back to check on her, but Weiss clutches her outfit, stopping her. "Please, don't go."**

 **Blake smiles and puts her arms back around her to hug her tighter. Weiss feels so much comfort in the embrace, like it's natural to her. After a few minutes pass, Weiss remembers that the first figure came from her sister's room and said 'one Schnee down.' She gets worried.**

" **B-Blake…Di-Did he...?" Weiss mumbles out, shaking again.**

" **Don't look, Weiss." Blake says in her ear, then hugs tighter, stopping her from going to see her dead sister.**

" **B-Blake…!" Weiss starts balling into her neck, still clutching her friend.**

" **I have you Weiss! Nothing's ever going to hurt you." Blake hugs her harder to her chest. Weiss still struggles in her grasp wanting to check on her sister.**

" **Weiss…Weiss…It's going to be Ok. Weiss…Weiss…!"**

* * *

Weiss awakes from her nightmare. Being shook in her bed. Her eyes snap open and she sees Blake there again, looking concerned for her. "Wh-What…?" Weiss shakes her head from her sleepiness. "B-Blake…?"

"You were having a nightmare. You're Ok now, though." Blake smiles, on her knees next to Weiss on her bed.

"A…Nightmare?" Weiss looks around her and sees she's in her bed at Beacon, now. Along with Blake in the same bed. "Uhhhm…Why are you in my bed, Blake?" Weiss asks as calmly as possible, which wasn't the calmest.

Blake freezes up at the question and shows fear in her eyes for a split second, that Weiss catches, but it's gone in the next. Replaced by a neutral one. "Well…I put you to bed last night then-…" Blake is interrupted by the heiress.

"P-Put me to bed?! Why?!" Weiss gets flustered, not remembering the night before right now.

"Well…You sort of…Fell asleep crying." Blake looks away, brushing the back of her hair.

Weiss remembers now. "Oh…" Weiss looks up to Blake panicked. "Blake! You can't tell anyone about that! Please!" Weiss grabs onto her arms and shakes her.

"O-Ok, Weiss! Just l-let go for a second a-and let me explain!" Blake couldn't get out clearer because of the shaking.

Weiss lets go and wraps her arms around herself, not liking to show her weak side like this.

Blake sees this and puts a hand on her shoulder and rubs it. "It's Ok Weiss. I won't tell anyone." Blake smiles to assure her. Weiss nods back. "After I put you in bed, I tried to go to my own, but you grabbed my robe and told me not to go. You looked distraught, I thought you could use the comfort." Blake shrugged in the end, showing it didn't bother her.

Weiss was shocked. It was just like her dream. Not wanting Blake to leave her and Blake willing to comply. _'Even outside of my crazy, nightmarish dream, Blake still cares for me. Someone she hardly knows.'_ Weiss smile softly at the thought. She looks up to Blake again, who is smiling back. "Th-Thanks, Blake. I…I really appreciate that." To show this, Weiss hugs her of her own volition.

Blake is stunned at first, but hugs back, smiling. "Don't mention it, Weiss."

After some comfortable silence, the pair break away, still smiling. "Well, I should go shower. We still need to get ready for school." Weiss gets up and walks to the bathroom after getting her uniform. Blake gets up as well. She goes to make sure her leader is up.

* * *

Weiss gets in the shower and turns it on. She starts to think of all that has happened this morning. _'Why do I keep having these weird dreams? First Ruby, then Blake…What is my dream state trying to tell me? I sort of understand why Ruby is involved i-in the first one…'_ Weiss thinks about it again. How she interacts with Ruby. Why she always smiles at her. Why she blushes at her contact. _'It's…It's envy, isn't' it? I envy her happiness. But what about the blushing?'_ Weiss continues to ponder her feelings. _'I…I don't do well with physical contact.'_ Weiss shakes her head at the thought of hugging some random person. _'Yeah, definitely not. But what about Blake then? I didn't b-blush when she hugged me? In the dream or when I woke up. In f-fact, I was the one to initiate the hug!'_ Weiss rapidly shakes her head at these thoughts. _'But what does that mean?!'_

Before Weiss can spend more time to answer, she hears knocking on the door. "Weiss! I'm sorry, but I need to shower too. And Ruby is using the other one right now. Hurry please, or we're going to be late!" Blake yells over the shower running, not wanting to be rude, but otherwise she wouldn't be heard.

"R-Right! I'm coming out!" Weiss panics. _'How long was I in here?!'_ She turns off the shower and steps out to get dressed.

Weiss walks out to see Blake waiting on the chair's armrest, her book and uniform in her lap, apparently just reading while waiting. "Thanks, Weiss." Blake smiles at her.

Weiss can't fight the urge to smile back. _'What's wrong with me?!'_

Blake walks into the bathroom with her uniform in her hands, putting the book in her bag, to shower. Weiss decides to see Ruby with her free time. She walks across the hall and knocks. The door immediately opens up and there is Ruby, in uniform.

"Hey, Weiss! You ready to go?" Ruby asks, being her cheery self.

"I am, but Blake just got in the shower. I stayed in it a bit too long." Weiss blushes at the admission more than the smile Ruby gives her. _'I don't know? I don't think it's because I like her that I react this way. But Blake seemed pretty sure I was, even I was believing it. Maybe I'll know by partner day?'_ Weiss just follows Ruby to the living room to sit on the couch to wait for Blake, chatting idly.

* * *

While Blake was in the shower she thinks of the morning as well. _'Weiss seemed pretty shook up by the nightmare. I wonder, if it was because of the repressed memories she talked about last night? I hope she's Ok.'_ Blake then thought about how Weiss hugged her. _'She's never hugged anyone that didn't hug her first. Why me? Maybe the bonding we did last night? I don't know how she'll react after learning the truth about me though.'_ Blake's cat ears sag down, not because of the water though.

' _Baby steps, Blake, baby steps…You can tell them. Ruby and Yang won't be a problem at all. Ruby may even help me with Weiss if I ask her.'_ Blake smiles at the idea. _'Yeah I can ask Ruby or Yang for help. I have to tell them first though. So who? Ruby is a definite help. She hates discrimination. But Yang…'_ Blake blushes at the thought of Yang hugging her after telling her she's a faunus. _'Definitely Yang.'_ Blake smiles as she finishes her shower.

Blake meets up with Weiss and Ruby and go to classes. A pop quiz in Ooblec's class on the third day of school. The man is ridiculous. Port's is the same droll class. When they get to sparring though…

They walk in and everyone is chatting amongst themselves. Goodwitch isn't present yet. They pay it no mind though, as they continue up the steps to their regular seats. Ruby leading.

Ruby races up the steps, not paying much attention. Too excited for sparring class. _'Maybe me and Weiss can have a rematch this time?!'_ She is too excited to notice the foot that comes down in her path. She trips over it, after practically sprinting up the steps, she has no way to slow down and bashes her face on the edge of the steps.

There is a sickening crunch as her nose is definitely broken. Weiss and Blake's eyes widen in shock. They hear laughing coming from the isle next to them, where Ruby tripped. They see the foot still sticking out. And it's attached to the bastard, Cardin.

Weiss and Blake look down to Ruby, who is currently getting up and holding her nose. Blood dripping down her face. A groan of pain comes out of her. The monochrome duo look to Cardin and his teammates again, still laughing. They glare at them and Cardin just smirks back.

"Payback's a bitch isn't it?" Cardin crosses his arms and starts to laugh again. Holding his gut.

Blake and Weiss shake with rage of the ass hole's gall. Weiss doesn't even hesitate. Granite did say that they could handle it if they wanted to. And wow, did she want to right now.

Weiss prepared a propulsion glyph behind Cardin and jump kicked him through it. He let out an 'oomph,' and soared through the air towards the arena. Tumbling to a stop at the edge of it, Cardin slowly picked himself back up.

"Urgh…You're going to pay for that, bitch!" Cardin gets up and sees Blake and Weiss are already there with him, in the arena. Both just glaring at him.

"Why are you such an ass hole?! You're brother said that you just had a misguided reasoning of hating faunus! Why are you hurting Ruby?!" Blake asks, wanting to tear this worthless excuse for a huntsman apart.

"Because she deserved it! She hurt me first!" Cardin clenches his fists in fury.

"You hurt that poor girl first! Ruby was just helping her from a jerk like you!" Weiss yelled at him, prepared to attack at any moment.

"What the hell are you talking about? You mean the animal?! You're a Schnee! Surely you understand that they are just savages! They only deserve to be beneath us! I thought all Schnees hated faunus?!" Cardin bellows at them. Waiting for an opening. He doesn't have his weapon on him, because he was kicked away from it.

Weiss freezes up at his words. She started to shake, looking down. She remembers the man with two horns in her dream. Blake protected her from a faunus. _'It was a faunus that killed my sister...'_ Weiss is lost in her thoughts, battling between her father's words and her own ideals.

While Weiss was frozen, Blake decided to defend her. "You don't know anything about her! She's not like her father! And they're not savages!"

"Then explain the White Fang! They are the voice of the faunus! And they are just animal's that kill! If you talked with my brother, you would know that!" Cardin starts to shake with rage and hurt at seeing his brother and the doctors around him, trying to keep him alive five years ago.

"Velvet doesn't agree with them! You can't just lump them all together like that!" Blake tries to get through to him, but it doesn't work.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Cardin screams as he rushes towards Weiss, seeing her stunned. Blake intercepts him right before. Kicking him away from Weiss.

He tumbles to the ground, but gets back up. He starts to pant, adrenaline kicking in. He looks to them and sees Blake has her swords out, just waiting for him to attack Weiss again.

Suddenly his mace is thrown from his seat. His team following behind. They circle around the two girls.

Blake quickly glances up into the stands to see if Ruby is coming. She sees her rushing to help them, still covering her nose. Holding her scythe with one hand. She makes it to her friends, jumping over Sky as she takes position with Weiss and Blake.

Cardin picks up his mace and gives the signal to charge... And then they are all lifted into the air by some unknown force.

"What is going on here?!" Glynda strolls into the room, looking livid at the scene in front of her.

She looks to Ruby and sees her face and hand covered in blood. Knowing there is no way Ruby would ever lose to the likes of Cardin and his team, even together, they must have done something underhanded to hurt and provoke them. She looks to Cardin. "Explain!"

"The Schnee used her glyphs to throw me into the ring!" He glares at Weiss, who is just now coming out of her stupor at being lifted into the air. She looks around and sees Glynda.

Glynda looks back at her. "Is this true?" Weiss gives a slow nod, not quite able to talk. And then Blake interrupts for her to explain.

"Cardin tripped Ruby first! That's why Weiss did what she did!" Blake glares at Cardin's smug look as he thinks he's getting away with it. It turns down as Glynda speaks up again.

"Oh? Is that so, Mr. Winchester?" Glynda gives him a glare.

He gulps and then responds. "It-It was an accident! She just tripped over my foot. It was sticking out into the steps." Cardin shows genuine fear at her glare. There's something unnatural about it.

Glynda sighs and shakes her head. Knowing he's lying. "Tell you what, Mr. Winchester. I won't be punishing you." Glynda smiles innocently, and he thinks it's a true one, showing relief. Then she cuts it off his face by her next reply.

"She will be." Glynda points to Ruby. Smirking as he looks shocked.

He then gives out a huff. "Fine. I can take the little runt." He grips his mace as Glynda lets them all down.

"Everyone else clear the arena!" Glynda waves her crop in the air, pushing everyone but Ruby and Cardin back, showing who she means.

Weiss and Blake show worry at their leader fighting while injured. But then relax as Ruby takes her hand away from her face and grips her scythe, smiling a slightly vicious smile. Cardin's tough attitude changes as well as he sees she's not in pain in the slightest. Her nose having stopped bleeding already. It was still swollen and crooked. But then she puts her scythe away, behind her back, and grabs her nose.

'Crunch.' She sets it herself, showing no pain at all. Still smiling. She grabs Crescent Rose again and twirls it as it extends into its full length. Holding it over her shoulder as if it weighs 12 pounds. The vicious smile still there.

With no one watching her, Glynda smirks at the beat down that is about to happen. Ruby steps into the circle with Cardin and gets into a fighting stance. Cardin audibly gulps. Remembering that she crushed his wrist like it was an empty coke can in her grasp.

Glynda steps to the edge of the arena circle to referee. She raises her arm and then looks to them both. Ruby nods, not taking her eyes off of the poor boy. Cardin doesn't look away from Ruby either, in fear she may be upon him in the blink of an eye like last time. Glynda drops her hand and shouts for them to begin.

* * *

Cardin is carried out of the sparring class by his teammates. Beaten and broken. Glynda puts on a serious face, but on the inside she is laughing so hard. She tells the rest of the class to take their seats and prepare for them to be called when selected to spar.

Ruby goes up to Weiss and Blake and smiles. "Thanks, guys! I knew you had my back!" She hugs them both. Weiss only blushes slightly, starting to get used to the physical affection of her dorky leader.

"No problem, Ruby. The jerk had it coming." Blake said pulling back from the hug.

Weiss pulled back to look at Ruby. "Are you Ok, Ruby? How is your nose?" Weiss hesitates to touch it. Not wanting to hurt her.

"Its fine, Weiss. Thanks though, for worrying." Ruby smiles at her. She smiles back, no blush that time. Weiss looks down, thinking about it.

' _Ok? What does this mean now? I'm over it?'_ Weiss shakes her head free of the thoughts.

Blake notices and looks at her, an eyebrow arching slightly. _'What's her deal?'_

She's broken from her thoughts by her leader. "Come on, guys! Let's get ready to be called." Ruby runs up the steps again. Weiss groans from her learning nothing about being careful. Blake just chuckles at the ice queen.

* * *

They didn't get to face each other again, but they did have a 3 on 3 battle with JNPR. It was pretty intense. Ruby went after Ren first. Seeing him as very annoying if not taken out quickly.

At the beginning of the fight, she reappeared in a flurry of Rose petals right in front of him to strike him in the side with Crescent Rose. She knocked him out immediately.

Nora shouting for her partner. Pyrrha called for Nora to help with Blake. Remembering that she could take Pyrrha, one on one. Pyrrha pressed Blake into a corner. Making her skip back. Keeping her on her toes. And just as Blake was about to press an attack, Nora appeared from behind Pyrrha. Jumping over her to bring down her hammer on Blake. She couldn't dodge in time and was knocked out of the ring.

Weiss decided to use them focusing on Blake as a way to get them together. She switched Myrtenaster to blue dust and slammed it down into the ground. Ice formed in the ground and traveled to the two enemies. Pyrrha jumped away in time but not Nora. She gets encased in ice. And just as she breaks out of her ice prison Ruby is there to shoot her from across the arena. A direct chest shot from her high-impact sniper-scythe.

Not only did it deplete her aura, but it also knocked her out of the arena. Ren is there to intercept her as she falls into him. Weiss and Ruby form up to take on the best of team JNPR, Pyrrha.

Just as Weiss starts to prepare glyphs for Ruby, using Myrtenaster, her casting gets thrown off and displaced. Her incomplete glyphs vanish as her sword gets pulled away from her grasp. Myrtenaster skittering across the arena floor. Weiss is puzzled by what happened, but Ruby saw the whole thing. She saw Pyrrha reach out while her black aura surrounded her hand.

Ruby charges Pyrrha to give Weiss time to retrieve her sword. Pyrrha blocks her scythe with Akuo and jabs with the blade of Milo. Ruby falls back as the blade comes for her stomach. Weiss gets her blade back and readies herself with some glyphs. Positioning them for someone to jump around on if she or Ruby needs the boost. But she can't complete them again.

As Pyrrha makes a dash for Weiss, jumping over Ruby after feigning a strike. Weiss wasn't expecting the head on approach and wasn't prepared. She intercepts a few swings, but Milo locks her sword while Pyrrha uses Akuo to shield bash her to the ground.

Just as Pyrrha is about to land a solid blow on the prone opponent, Ruby intercepts. Coming to her partner's side with Crescent Rose in a sideways sweep in front of Weiss to deflect Milo. Ruby turns around and twirls Crescent as she prepares to attack Pyrrha. She raises Akuo to block the huge curved blade. 'Clang!'

Pyrrha stumbles from the surprisingly strong hit from such a small girl. As she stumbles Weiss places a time dilation glyph down for Ruby. And with that, in the same instant that Pyrrha stumbled from the blow, Ruby is already behind her, readying another swing.

Ruby puts Crescent Rose around Pyrrha's neck and tells her to yield. Pyrrha didn't even see her move she went so fast. Ruby's semblance combined with Weiss' time dilation makes for one terrifying combo. Pyrrha sighs and puts her weapons down. She smiles at Weiss, not able to smile at Ruby, who is directly behind her.

"And that's the match! Great job everyone. That was excellent use of teamwork! Exactly the point of today's lesson. You are a far greater threat as a team then separate." Glynda smiles at them all, but lingers on Ruby. Her smile turning into a knowing smirk. _'You need every ally you can get your hands on, Rose.'_

Ruby nods, understanding her point. Ruby starts to jump up and down with both Weiss and Pyrrha's hands in her grasp. Soon after, they all take their seats as class continues.

* * *

The class is dismissed and Ruby is already at Glynda's desk. Ready to go see Yang to heal her. Glynda smirks. "So are you ready?" Knowing the answer.

"Of course! Let's go!" Ruby looks back to Blake and Weiss, smiling from ear to ear. "Hey, I'll catch up later you two!"

They both smile at their impossibly cheerful leader. "Just don't get in her way, you dolt!" Weiss jokes.

Ruby just continues to smile, giving a mock salute. "Aye aye!"

"I'll be at the library if either of you need me." Blake informs.

"Alright!" Ruby waves to them as they leave.

"I suppose I could use some time to study too. Mind if I tag along?" Weiss grips her chin in thought, then looks to Blake, asking.

"That's fine with me." Blake just smiles at her. Blake and Weiss leave to go to the library. One to read up on her book in peace. The other to ponder what has happened lately with her feelings. Maybe needing Blake's help to figure it out.

* * *

 **So in case you were wondering. It was Adam that attacked Weiss in her dream. She didn't really know what he looked like other than a man with horns and a long, thin sword. The three other Schnees he was targeting were Weiss, papa Schnee, I have my own name for him, it's not Jacques, that's a terrible name, and her mother. Whitley won't be in my story. I don't really have a need for him.**

 **I know Weiss' feelings may be flip floppy right now. That's the point. She doesn't know what she's feeling. She's never had any sort of feelings for anyone, other than Winter and maybe her mother. I will explain more next chapter when her and Blake talk.**

 **Until next chapter. Peace!**


	13. Secret's Out

**Next chapter! And this one is pretty crazy. I hope I handled the conversation with Blake and Weiss well. Please tell me. It was pretty hard to work through. I'm not the most experienced at writing, let alone monochrome, a ship I have barely even read. But yeah, this is one awesome title, I'm sure you will get why after reading. xD**

 **To the story!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Secret's Out

Glynda and Ruby walk to Yang's room to heal her. Ruby skipping along, smiling. Glynda shaking her head at the seemingly infinite cheeriness resonating from the red head. _'I don't know how Summer did it. I would die having to raise someone so bubbly all the time.'_ Glynda gives Ruby a sad look as she walks in front of the professor. _'That being said, she should enjoy it while it lasts. Cinder's not just wanting to have a chat with Ruby.'_

They get to the door and before Ruby can open it, outsteps Dr. Williams. "Oh hey, Ruby, Glynda! You here to see Yang, I'm assuming?"

Ruby nods rapidly, smiling. Glynda answers for them, all walking back into the room. "Yes, that's right. I'm here to perform the healing on her, using my semblance of course."

"Of course. Well, go ahead. Yang's been waiting to see Ruby all day." The Doctor gives Ruby a smile, gesturing for her to see her sister.

Ruby chirps a 'thanks!' and goes to hug Yang. Glynda looks to Dr. Williams.

"I appreciate you looking after them. They are quite ridiculous, aren't they?" Glynda crosses her arms as she watches Ruby hug Yang. Both she and the doctor speaking in hushed tones.

"That they are. Has she made any progress? With her emotions, I mean?" Dr. Williams puts his arm out as he asks.

"She has, actually. She was able to admit it to all of us, including her uncle. I want to thank you for the help Sonne. Your talks seemed to really help them." Glynda gave him a genuine smile then sighed, looking down. "Now she just has to admit it to the one that matters. As a vampire our emotions can be a very powerful weapon, or a terrible weakness. She needs to learn this as soon as possible." She looks at Ruby and Yang with a sad smile.

"It was no trouble, Glynda. Anything for the Counsel." Sonne Williams bows his head to her and waves good bye as he turns around and walks off.

"Make sure to keep your head down, Sonne. You don't know who may be listening." Glynda warns as she closes the door after him and locks it like last time, using a chair. Sonne may be alright, but there could be nurses coming in to check on Yang. That wouldn't be good for anyone. She turns around to see Yang and Ruby chatting.

"So, let's get started Yang." Glynda walks over to her left side and motions for Ruby to follow. Ruby gives a determined nod and walks to Yang's arm in a cast.

"You can do this Ruby." Yang gives her an encouraging smile. Ruby smiles back and puts her hands out, closing her eyes. Imagining the time when they first awoke at Beacon and Yang was wrapped around her. Suddenly her hands alight with the crimson energy.

Ruby opens her eyes and grins. "Ok, just have to push the energy into Yang now." She mutters to herself. She locks eyes with Yang as she puts her hands on her cast. _'I'm doing this because I love her. I'm_ _ **in**_ _love with her.'_

Suddenly, the energy is pushed into Yang. Yang grits her teeth as it pulses through her. But it becomes soothing, not rapid and rough like it was with Glynda. It moved at a lazy pace throughout her body, waiting for her direction. She relaxed and closed her eyes to focus on her arm. She feels the energy rush to her damaged appendage. And it stays there. She doesn't even have to try to command it. It's like it obeyed her completely. It didn't lash out at her like last time Ruby tried this either.

"So this is what a bond does…" Yang mutters aloud.

"Precisely. It makes the process a step below effortless. You still have to maintain concentration, though. You are still in danger of losing your soul. Both of you, at least until Ruby is done pouring the energy into you." Glynda says carefully, not wanting Yang or Ruby to lose focus.

They both nod at her words as they continue to concentrate. After a few minutes, Ruby pulls back. Having been spent for the day. She lightly pants at the energy depletion. "That's all I got, Yang."

Yang nods, smiling to her sister. "I got this, Rubes. You take a break." Yang continues on focusing the energy in her arm. It still gives off that soothing rush. It started to take longer than last time with Glynda. While Yang was concentrating, Glynda was talking with Ruby.

"You did well, Ruby. With the bond, not only is it much easier, but it also takes less energy since you don't have to waste any getting the connection stable. That leaves more for you to pour into her to heal. That's why it's taking longer, you see." Glynda was congratulating her with a smile.

"Oh Ok. I thought I did something wrong and it was taking Yang longer to deal with the energy." Ruby mumbles, worried she messed up.

"You did fine Ruby. Exceptionally well, I might say. I believe you gave Yang enough to finish healing her arm." Glynda patted her on the shoulder as they watched Yang concentrate.

"Th-thanks." Ruby stuttered out from the praise.

And Glynda was right. After twenty minutes passed. The pulse vanished in Yang's body and she opened her eyes, smiling. "It's all done! I can't tell if my arm is back yet though, the cast makes it impossible to move." Yang pouts.

"That's the point of it Yang. To stop you from moving it from its setting and to keep it covered." Glynda rolls her eyes at one of the girls who can't sit still.

She walks over to the cast and inspects it. Touching it and pushing down, looking to Yang for any wincing of pain. Nothing. Glynda nods to Yang and she grins widely.

"So does this mean I get my cast off now?" Yang begs.

"Yes, but only when Dr. Williams comes back. He needs to thoroughly inspect it." Glynda pushes up on her glasses showing she's serious. "In the meantime, though. I should heal your chest injuries. I believe you still have some broken ribs, correct?"

"Uhm, yeah. So you're going to heal me today too?" Yang asks, happy to get out of here as soon as possible.

"I will, but only the chest injuries today. I can't afford both the leg and the chest." Glynda shakes her head, knowing that's what Yang is thinking.

"Aww, man! Why can't you heal my leg first then?" Yang complains to her professor.

"Because, Yang. I know you would want to get back to training as soon as you could walk. You're just not ready yet without the ribs repaired as well." Glynda looked to Ruby for help.

"She's right Yang! You promised, remember? You have to take care of yourself! I said you can't train as long as you're hurt. And I mean it!" Ruby points in her sister's face.

"Alright, fine! I get it. I won't train until I'm 100 percent." Yang crossed her one arm she could move in a sign of surrender.

"Thanks, Yang!" Ruby hugger her. Yang blushed and hugged back with a smile.

Glynda gave them a moment and then clapped to break them up. "Come on. I still need to heal her, Ruby. Please move." She made a shooing motion.

"R-Right, sorry!" Ruby rubbed the back of her head, smiling nervously.

Glynda ignored her and walk to Yang's side. Putting out her hands, releasing the Crimson Aura Technique. The same one Ruby just used. She closed her eyes after putting her hands on Yang's collar bone.

The energy, like last time pulsed wildly through Yang. She grit her teeth as she was forcing the connection. "Yang, you can help at any time." She forced out.

"Right! I'm trying, but it's burning." Yang gives out an exhale through her nose as she settles down and concentrates on the energy. It starts to move slowly to her chest as she focuses on her ribs. Eventually the connection is set and Glynda funnels the rest of her energy she can spare into Yang.

She releases and sees Ruby blushing, looking away. She arcs her brow, questioningly. Ruby looks at her and then looks away again. She point at her hands and then hesitatingly points to Yang's chest.

Glynda understands and rolls her eyes again. "Huhh…You have got to be kidding me…" Glynda mutters, but Ruby picks it up.

"Well, it's just…did your hands have to be so close?" Ruby squeaks out quietly.

"Ruby, you're being ridiculous. I was just healing her." She sighs again at the jealous teen.

"I know… I just can't help it." Ruby's shoulders sag in sadness.

"Can you guys stop whispering? I'm trying to concentrate here?" Yang grunts, having a difficult time. Ruby lets out an, 'eep!' and covers her mouth. Glynda just shakes her head.

Eventually the energy subsides and Yang feels a lot better. Able to breathe easier now. "It worked! I'm now two thirds of the way to full health!" Yang puts her right arm into the air with her chant.

"Indeed, you will be fully healed by Friday. I suggest you use the weekend after for more rest, but I know that's an impossibility." Glynda gives Yang a glare.

Yang just gives her a smug grin and shrugs. Ruby hits her on the arm. Yang can't really rub her right arm to sooth the pain as she gives out an, 'ouch!' as the hit collides

"Yang! She's been healing you! And teaching me to heal you! Be nice to her!" Ruby yells.

"Ok, Ok, geeze! Sibling abuse here!" Yang giggles at the end and Ruby smiles.

"Well, now that that is settled I suggest we leave, Ruby. You can't fall behind on your homework. You almost didn't have enough time yesterday." Glynda walks to the door and removes the chair.

"Uhh…Yeah. I was too busy with the training yesterday, though! Today I don't have any!" Ruby tries to argue her point.

"I know, Ruby. But why not get it out of the way first, then visit Yang?" Glynda gestured to her sister.

"Ugghhh…You sound just like Weiss!" Ruby groans and pouts. She finally relents though. "Fine! I'll just bring you food later, Yang!" Ruby goes to hug her. Yang happily accepts.

"Sure, Rubes. See ya then." She ruffles her hair when she gets up from the hug.

Ruby trots over to the door with Glynda and waves bye to Yang. Going to catch up with Weiss and blake.

* * *

Weiss and Blake walk quietly to the library. They find a nice secluded table and sit down together. Blake reading her book. Weiss pulling out her supplies for her homework to study. They remain in silence for about 40 minutes until Weiss starts to think about her dreams and feelings. Not able to get the thoughts out, she stops her writing and just sits there, thinking.

' _So I am envious of Ruby's happiness so I can't help but smile at her? I'm not used to affection so I can't help but blush when she hugs me? It makes sense, but what about with Blake? I didn't blush when we hugged. I felt so safe hugging her…The hug that I initiated.'_ Weiss shakes her head at the conclusion to the thoughts. _'I can't be a lesbian! I…I can't be! Father would never allow it!'_ Weiss openly sighed and shook her head at the thought of her father finding out about her feelings. Then the words of Ozpin came to her after thinking of her father. _'Your father's not here at this school, Weiss. You can let your guard down. Especially with your friends.'_ At that moment, a hand touched her own that was laying on her opened book. She looked up and saw Blake, looking at her worried.

"Weiss? Is something wrong? You haven't' moved in like, 15 minutes." Blake noticed the sigh and after that caught her attention, she noticed Weiss hadn't moved for a while.

Weiss just looked back down to the hand cupping hers. Her mind blank. Finally Blake patted her hand to get her attention and Weiss looked up again. "Wh-What, Blake?"

"You spaced out again. What's wrong? Is it the dream again?" Blake continues to look worried for her and she just couldn't take it. Weiss looks down at her open book again.

"Uh...Yeah, you could say that." Weiss says slowly shaking her head.

"Do…Do you want to talk about it?" Blake asks carefully, not wanting to upset her.

"I…Don't know what I want anymore. I came here to become a huntress not…this." Weiss gestures to nothing, thinking of Ruby and Blake and her feelings for them both.

"It's about Ruby, right?" Blake says with a knowing smile. "Look, just wait for partner day this Saturday and you will see if you like her or if you don't." Blake starts to go back to her book, thinking she solved it.

"But what if there's a third option?!" Weiss screams, not caring they're in a library. She clutches her head, not able to deal with it all. She should confide in her teammates, but the only teammates she sees regularly enough to trust with this are the ones involved! It's an unsolvable paradox to her.

"We-Weiss, calm down, please. What do you mean, 'a third option'?" Blake looks around to see if anyone heard. No one is looking. She tries to calm her down by speaking calmly and gripping her hand. But Weiss pulls hers away.

"I…I…I had a nightmare…" Weiss is starting to sob now, feeling there is no way out now. She already yelled that there is something to talk about.

"Weiss…You don't have to-…" Blake starts to tell her before she cuts her off.

"…You were there. You protected me from this faunus that was trying to k-kill me and my family…I felt s-safe in your arms, like with Ruby." Weiss hugs herself, feeling disgusted with herself.

"Weiss…?" Blake starts to understand now. The conflicted feelings with Ruby. Not wanting to believe she's a lesbian. _'She doesn't know who or what she likes, does she?'_ Blake moves around the table to hug her. Rubbing circles into her back. "Weiss, it's Ok. It's Ok to be confused. You just haven't had the chance to figure out who you are, yet."

Weiss was trying to fight her grip, but when she said 'confused' she froze. And then hugged back, crying into her shoulder. "I'm sorry! I'm so s-sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Weiss. It's not your fault. These things take time. Time to learn if it's what you really want." Blake begins to explain the process she went through. Her time with Adam made her want to try something else afterwards. She learned that she was bi when she confided in a friend in the White Fang about how Adam mistreated her for the last time. The situation was somewhat similar to this one, except Blake was the one crying.

Her friend kissed her on the forehead to make her feel better while consoling her, but that sparked something in Blake at the time. She looked up and kissed her best female friend in the White Fang. Her friend was also bi so she let it happen, kissing back. After the kiss though, Blake felt disgusted with herself leaving the room in a hurry. It was the night before her and Adam went on the train heist. The night she abandoned both of them.

Blake made up her mind now. She was going to help Weiss. She raised Weiss' head to look her in the eyes. "Weiss…Look at me." Blake cupped her cheek to keep her staring. "I…I want you to kiss me."

Weiss' eyes widened and she froze her shaking. "Wh-what..?"

"Do you want to learn about yourself? Who you like?" Blake looked into her eyes searching for the answer.

"I…I don't know!" Weiss shakes her head frantically.

"Weiss, Weiss! Look at me!" Blake grips her head to stop her. "If you don't find out now, then this will just keep looming over you! You need to decide before you hurt someone or yourself!"

Weiss clamps her eyes shut, shaking. "I…I…" Weiss looks back to Blake and sees her worried for her, like always. Blake just seems to always be there when she needs her. She gulps her nervousness down and grabs Blake's face, pulling her to her lips.

Blake is surprised by the suddenness but just closes her eyes and lets it happen. Kissing back. Weiss moans into the kiss slightly. All her previous stress melting away. It felt right to her. Like everything in the world that was so wrong moments ago just didn't exist anymore. She felt whole. Weiss broke from the kiss, slowly. Opening her eyes to see Blake, giving her a small smirk, like always. She smiles back, truly happy.

"So, better?" Blake simply says, knowing by the smile she accepts herself now.

"Much better, thank you…" Weiss, still smiling, goes back in for another kiss.

Blake's eyes widen at seeing this and stops her with her hand. "W-Weiss? What are you doing?"

"I…I thought I could kiss you again. Is that not Ok?" Weiss asks, confused. _'Couples kiss when they want, don't they?'_

"What? N-No. I like Yang, Weiss. I mean, I like you, but as a friend. The kiss didn't mean anything for me." Blake shakes her head, worried she may have just made a horrible mistake.

Weiss looks down, starting to tremble. She suddenly bolts up and runs away barely holding tears back. Blake tries to call out but she doesn't listen. _'She likes me? Oh, Oum! What have I done!?'_ Blake smacks her head against the desk in a futile attempt to wake herself up, hoping it's a dream.

* * *

Weiss ran through the dorm building, running up the stairs to get to their dorm room. When she made it in, she rushed to Blake's and her room and slammed the door, locking it. She slid into her bed to hide under the covers like a scared child. She was crying since she left the library, only holding on long enough for Blake not to see the tears.

She clutched herself tightly as she thought about how everything felt so much worse now. Not only did she admit to herself to being a lesbian, but also confessed to the girl she liked and she shot her down immediately. _'The kiss…It felt so right though. How did she not see that? Ohhh, what do I do now? I can't ever see her again, and yet we share a freaking room! Damnit…'_ Weiss continued to cry, holding herself under her covers. Feeling like the world has ended.

* * *

Blake trudges her way back to the dorm. Thinking about how she ruined her friendship with Weiss. The only good Schnee in existence that she knows of. _'I'm such an idiot! Of course she liked me! She hugged me when I woke her up. She never hugs anyone!'_ Blake starts to think about how she could have fixed it and that leads to her thinking about the kiss that she shouldn't have had with her. _'It felt so…wrong…huhhh…Or am I just saying that because she's a Schnee and it would be the worst idea ever to see where it goes?'_ Blake blushes thinking about the kiss and how much feeling Weiss poured into it. _'Of course she poured all her feelings into it! She loves me for Oums sake! How am I going to fix this?'_

Blake is removed from her thoughts as she bumps into someone. "Oof…Sorry I guess I wasn't wa-…? Ruby?" Blake sees Ruby on the ground, rubbing her butt.

"Ow…Sorry Blake. Just thinking about something." Ruby gives her a small smile. _'And it definitely doesn't involve my sister!'_

"Well I'm sorry too." Blake offers a hand to help pick up her leader. Ruby accepts. "So, what distracted you?" Blake asks, curious.

"Oh, nothing much. Just school." Ruby looks away nervously.

"Uh huh…" Blake doesn't buy it but has other things to worry about. She shakes her head clear. "Listen, Ruby. I need some time alone in the dorm. Can you go see JNPR or something? It's really important." Blake gives her a pleading look.

"Uhm…Ok? Do you mind me asking what it's about?" Ruby is really confused where this is coming from.

"I can't tell you right now. If I need help, I'll tell you, but right now…" Blake clasps her hands together trying to make Ruby see she needs to trust her.

"Alright…As leader, I'm leaving this matter to you!" Ruby shouts, pointing to her.

"Thanks, Ruby." Blake smiles at her supportive leader. She swipes her scroll and enters, closing the door behind her. _'Ok, just have to talk to Weiss about this…Shouldn't be so hard, just turning down one of the most powerful families in the world.'_ Blake gets really nervous and sighs. _'Maybe we could see where it goes? We could try and keep it secret and just see if I can return the feelings? But what about Yang? I already like her. It's not just going to go away. It's not like Weiss' 'crush' on Ruby. I'm not confused about Yang.'_ Blake approaches their room door. She takes a calming breath and knocks.

"Weiss? You in there?" Blake waits for an answer, but hears none. _'Did she not run to the room?'_ Blake starts to doubt she's here and then Weiss speaks up.

"Go away!" Weiss yells angrily.

"Weiss, please! I'm sorry! I didn't know you felt that way! I never would have done that to you had I known that. I'm really sorry. Can you please let me in so we can talk about this?" Blake leans against the side of the door, feeling terrible that she reduced the heiress to this.

"W-What's there to talk about?" Weiss mumbles from above the covers of the bed. Blake can barely hear it thanks to her faunus hearing.

"Open the door and I will explain, please." Blake pleads again.

Weiss is hesitant, but eventually gets up and shuffles to the door to unlock it. She doesn't open it, she just goes back to the bed to hide under the covers. Feeling disgusted with herself. How can she show her face around Blake again?

* * *

Blake opens the door and sees Weiss plop down on the bed, getting under the covers. She sighs at the sight. "Weiss, I'm sorry. Really! I didn't know. Look, I…I need to show you something…" Blake looks down, preparing herself.

"What?" Weiss grunts out, not amused.

"Look at me and I'll show you." Blake starts to take off her bow. Feeling nervousness well up. _'Either she will flip out and never want to see me again, or she will flip out and ask me what the hell is going on.'_

"Fine!" Weiss starts to get up, moving her legs under her to lift herself from the covers. She pulls them off her head and looks to Blake. She glares at her. She sees the sad expression on Blake's face. Genuinely sorry for hurting her. Then she notices the ribbon in her hand. And instinctually looks up to where it usually is.

Two furry appendages on her head. Cat ears…Weiss' eyes stay locked on them not believing it. She must be dreaming again or is just hallucinating from the crazy emotions. She shakes her head and her jaw falls open. "B-Blake?"

"Yes…I'm a faunus." Blake nods looking down.

Weiss shakes her head again. "Th-This whole time…You lied to me? To us?" Her fists ball up in anger. "Why?! After I told you…After I told you that story, you still didn't say anything? Why?!"

"Because I was afraid!" Blake held her arm, looking away. "I was afraid how you all would treat me if you knew." Blake mutters in a sad voice.

"But we treat Velvet just fine. Why would you be any different?" It doesn't make sense to Weiss.

"Because…She's not a former member of the White Fang…" Blake drops to her knees, holding herself. "I'm sorry…I couldn't tell you…especially after your story. I knew you would want nothing to do with me once you found out! I didn't want to be alone again!" Blake starts to shutter as her body quakes in sadness, crying quietly.

Weiss didn't know what to do. She felt so much rage at being tricked. She had lied to them all, made them think she was a friend. Made her feel like she could depend on Blake. She could have killed her at any moment when she slept. She slept in the same bed as her!

But she didn't…she did nothing of the sort. Why? "Why?" Weiss finally spoke.

Blake looked up at her, still tears in her eyes. "Why, what?" She looked back down, not having the strength to look at Weiss.

"Why would you trick us? Why would you willingly sleep in the same bed as a Schnee if you are White Fang?!" Weiss screams wanting to understand.

"I'm not anymore! I said former…I left after I learned what my home had become. I couldn't continue turning a blind eye to what we were doing!" Blake felt so tiny, so vulnerable. She was just waiting for her to be sentenced again into exile. The first may have been by choice, but that didn't make it any less painful to be on her own.

Weiss was still thinking about what she said before. _'Didn't want to be alone again. She doesn't have any other family to go to, does she? This is her only chance at a family. She wouldn't waste that. She has to be telling the truth. She has to be…'_

"Blake…" Blake looks up at Weiss' voice. Weiss' face neutral, unreadable. It worries her deeply.

"Y-Yes?" Blake looks down again not able to take the pressure.

"Blake, look me in the eyes and tell me, 'you no longer associate with the White Fang.' Do this and I will believe you." Weiss kneels down on her level to try and stare into her red, glassy, amber eyes full of unshed tears.

Blake gulps, in preparation. She nods and looks back up to Weiss. They lock eyes. "I no longer associate with the White Fang." Blake says clearly, with no hesitation.

Weiss raises back up and closes her eyes, processing this. _'She's simply not a monster. She can't be. She's better than that. But is this my feelings talking? Or do I really believe it? Ughhh!'_ Weiss shakes her head and then looks down to Blake, glaring. Blake thinks the worst and feels like it's over.

"I…I believe you, Blake." Weiss gives her a sad look.

Blake's eyes go wide, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. "You do?" Blake finally mutters out, clutching her chest out of relief as she looks down. "Th-Thank you, Weiss!" Blake looks back up to her, remembering why she revealed herself. "Weiss! I'm so sorry for what I did! I didn't know you felt that way about me. I…I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I couldn't control myself… and tried to kiss you again. Blake…" Weiss gets her attention. "Did that kiss really mean nothing to you? Did you really not feel anything?" Weiss looks heartbroken.

"I…I don't know, maybe? It's confusing." Blake lets out a huff of aggravation.

"Yes it is. How do you think I feel?" Weiss smiles, trying to lighten the mood.

It doesn't really work, as Blake lets out a humorless laugh. "I bet you feel really terrible. I'm sorry, Weiss." Blake looks back up to her and stands, giving her a sorrowful look.

"I'll be Ok Blake. You did help me figure out who I am." Weiss tries to cheer her up, not liking seeing her sad.

"Yeah, before I shot you down in the meanest way possible." Blake berates herself.

"Blake, stop! You didn't know. If you had, you wouldn't have done that." Weiss reasons with her.

"Maybe, you're right…" Blake gets an idea to make things better. She looks back to Weiss, no longer saddened. "Weiss. How about, to make it up to you, we go out. I'll give us a try. I don't know how I feel for you yet, so I'll use my own advice to you, and try it. What do you say?"

"I don't want some pity date, Blake!" Weiss gets offended.

"I-It won't be! We can go this Friday! Before partner day, to see if it goes well. If it does, then we can try and be a couple like you wanted. If not…" Blake looks away.

"You still have Yang…" Weiss glares.

"N-No! That's not what I meant!" Blake shakes her head. "If it doesn't work, then things will be really awkward between us. But I meant what I said in the library, I do like you Weiss. I don't want to lose you as a friend. So please, Weiss?"

"I…" Weiss starts to think about all that has happened. _'First I came out, then I confessed to liking her, then she shot me down. I ran away, she came back to tell me she's a White Fang member! Former, Weiss. Calm down. And now she wants to take me on a date? If I didn't know any better, I would say she's messing with me.'_ Weiss looks at Blake's face, asking for a chance to fix their relationship. _'But she's not…'_ Weiss smiles for a brief moment, then clears her throat. "I accept. But I pick the place!"

"Of course. That's fine with me. Thank you, Weiss." Blake smiles to her. Weiss shakes off her stern expression and smiles back.

"And please, Weiss. Let me tell the others about…You know." Blake looks up to her ears.

"I will. As long as you do tell them. They deserve to know." Weiss wags her finger at her.

"I believe the hard part is behind me." Blake smirks at Weiss. Weiss understands.

"Ohh? So I'm the difficult one, am I?" Weiss glares at her.

"Duh? Between Ruby crushing Cardin's wrist for hurting a faunus and Yang being the most mellow person ever, you're easily the hardest to talk to about this." Blake keeps her smirk on, just messing with her.

Weiss goes to refute it, but stops herself. She really can't. Instead…They both start laughing. Chuckling at how right she is and how good it is to be back to, mostly, normal.

"I'm glad we could get past this, Weiss." Blake wipes a tear from her eye, happy things worked out Ok.

"Me too, Blake." Weiss smiles back, actually grinning.

* * *

Ruby was walking around campus with her hood up, blocking out the pestering sun. Just buying time for Blake with whatever it was that she was doing. _'Probably wants to read that "Ninja's of Love" book. I know smut when I see it, Blake.'_ Ruby smirks and shakes her head.

"Hey, kid…" A voice calls out in Ruby's direction. It sounds female. Ruby turns around to see if it was for her.

The figure was definitely female. Curves in all the right places, manicured fingernails on long, dainty fingers holding onto the frame of sunglasses. She had a gold and black handbag around her shoulder. She wore a beret on her head covering her brunette hair and her sunglasses were halfway down her nose as she looked directly at Ruby. But the eyes were what Ruby was looking at. Crimson, faintly glowing behind the rim of her glasses. Ruby's eyes widen as she realizes what she is.

"Yep, you're kindred alright." The girl smiles as she announces it. Ruby gulps.

* * *

 **So that was a thing! And someone has found Ruby as a fellow vampire at the school! It should be pretty obvious who this is, though. Not many people wear sunglasses and a beret. xD I hoped I did their talk justice. I hoped it seemed realistic. Blake also doesn't know how she feels for Weiss, it's why she wanted to follow her own advice and see what happens if they go on a date by themselves. She also didn't want to lose the only family she has now. Being team RWBY. I hope that makes sense. Tell me please, review and follow along!**

 **I'm also working on another one-shot! It's Black Rose this time though. Finally thought of a story idea for the awesome couple! If you didn't know. Black Rose is actually my favorite ship. So keep an eye out for that. Should be out by tomorrow, maybe. Peace!**


	14. The Hardest Night

**Hey people! The next chapter! And this one has a lot going on in it. I apologize if it seems to be all over the place, but these things were all happening around the same time, so keep that in mind. So I released my next one-shot! It's called, "The Panther Sinks Her Claws." It's the black rose one I was talking about at the end of last chapter. It has Futa!Ruby in it so be aware I guess.**

 **Now on to the story!**

* * *

Chapter 14: The Hardest Night

Ruby was shocked, and worried. She hadn't heard from Ozpin or Glynda that there was another vampire at the school. So why was one showing up now?

' _Is this another one of his tests? Like the Velox-Mortems? Why can't he just tell me these things?'_ Ruby then goes on, impersonating Ozpin's voice.

' _Hey Ruby, just thought you should know, there's another freaking vampire at the school, heads up! Ughhh!...'_ Ruby groans in her head then calms down. _'I guess I'll just have to ask her.'_

Ruby forces herself to relax, still not taking her eyes off of the new vampire. "Maybe we should find a new place to talk instead of the middle of the courtyard?" Ruby gives her a look of disapproval.

The girl with the shades just rolls her eyes and shrugs. "Sure, it's not like anyone's out here though. Let's go, short stuff." She leads Ruby behind the school's main building, near a garden. The new girl takes a seat on a bench and crosses her legs, looking at Ruby still from behind her shades.

"Well, you going to take a seat? I won't bite. At least not you anyways." The older vampire grins at Ruby, trying to be as non-hostile as possible.

"I think I'll manage standing over here, at least under this tree." Ruby says, as she walks next to the bench that is facing the one that Coco is on. A tree providing shade for both of the vampires. Ruby removes her hood, still looking to the cool-brown themed girl, as she keeps smiling at Ruby.

"So what's your name, at least? I'm sure you already know mine." Ruby asks, shrugging, thinking she's someone who is out for trouble. Maybe working for Cinder as a spy.

"Actually, I don't. Ozpin didn't give me your name. He just said to be on the lookout for a girl with red and black hair who wears a cape. I'm sure you know that Ozpin is a bit of a greedy bastard when it comes to information. It's like he trusts no one." She shakes her head. "My name is Coco, Coco Adel. My family is on the Counsel. And we've been with Ozpin on the Counsel for almost a millennium now." Coco gestures for Ruby to introduce herself.

Ruby takes a moment to think about this. _'Not much to lose by my first name. Maybe she won't push for more?'_ Ruby sighs. "My name is Ruby. I honestly don't know how long my family has been involved with the Counsel. My mom…didn't live very long after she sired me." Ruby showed a beat of sadness then schooled it back in the face of a stranger who could be trouble.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, kid. But your mom was on the Counsel? She died recently?" Coco starts to think that could only be one female that died recently on the Counsel. The eyes of Ruby also suggest this theory is true.

"I don't know if she was on the Counsel, she didn't talk much about it. I think she was keeping us out of it for our protection. But I know she at least worked for them. Why do you ask?" Ruby asks, feeling skeptical.

"Because I know of only one clan on the Counsel that has those unique eyes." Coco pulls down her shades and looks directly into Ruby's eyes.

"So my clan is on the Counsel, not just involved?" Ruby asks, wondering how much she doesn't know about her clan.

"Well, they were. After Summer died, no one has been there to fill the void she left. I don't really know what Ozpin is waiting for. The longer he waits to fill the seat, the weaker the Counsel is. Although, my guess is, he's waiting for you." Coco nods in her direction.

"Me?" Ruby's eyes go wide.

"Yeah you, no one else is part of the Rose clan. At least that we know of. This is just speculation on my part, but I think that might also be the reason he brought you here. Training is one thing, but you're very important to him, too important to be unguarded." Coco smirks.

"What do you want?" Ruby lowers herself in a defensive stance, putting her hand behind her back for her scythe. She misunderstands her point to be a threat.

Coco sees this and puts her hands out in calming. "Easy, red. Calm down, I just want to talk." After Coco says this she drapes her right arm over the back of the bench, getting comfortable. Showing she means no harm.

Ruby relaxes, but doesn't take her hands off of Crescent Rose. "Talk about what?"

"Well, I wanted to say thanks for saving bunbun. Er…Velvet. She's my girlfriend. Look, she told me what you did to Cardin for being a dick to her, so thanks. She's way too nice to defend herself, you know?" Coco smiles to show her gratitude towards Ruby.

"Um…You're welcome." Ruby blushes. "G-Girlfriend?"

"Yeah? Is there a problem with that, red?" Coco gets defensive very quickly after that. Leaning up slightly from her lax position to stare at Ruby from above her glasses.

Ruby steps back, now behind her bench to the side. Her eyes widening in fear she offended her. "No, no! I don't have a problem with that. I was just a little…taken aback." Ruby shakes her head. "So, you aren't like some of the vampires my mom talked about? The one's who see humans as a food source and nothing more?" Ruby mumbles.

It's Coco's turn to be taken aback. "Hell, no! Those jack asses? They're no better than the Schnees with faunus!" Coco's knuckles start to turn white. She shakes her head. "I don't have any tolerance for people who think themselves better than others simply because they are a different race!"

Ruby meekly puts her finger up to get a word in and Coco stops. "Well, I agree with most of that, but Weiss isn't that way." Ruby shakes her head. "She's a nice person, really! She helped me stand up to Cardin when he was bullying Velvet."

"Really, the heiress?" Coco gets skeptical, but leans back again. "That's surprising. Velvet didn't mention that. Probably because she was too shook up from thinking you were a vampire." Coco then remembers something she should probably tell Ruby if she hasn't already been told. "Right! Um, about Velvet noticing you as a vampire. If you don't already know, faunus tend to pick us out as different from humans." At this, Ruby gets panicky.

Coco tries to put her worries to rest. "Not necessarily a big deal! At least not always. If they notice you have better senses than the rest of humans, they may think you are a faunus in disguise. But seeing as we don't smell like faunus, they don't really know what to think. So try and be careful broadcasting your senses around other faunus. Velvet's obviously Ok, but others? Not so much."

"So be on the lookout for faunus when using my senses, gotcha." Ruby gives her a thumbs up. "But why are you telling me this? What are you my babysitter that Ozpin sent?" Ruby crosses her arms, offended.

Coco chuckles. "In a way actually, yeah. You don't have to look at it that way though. I'm also going to have your back as much as I can in case Cinder shows her face." Ruby looks shocked again. Before she can ask, Coco just explains. "Yeah, I know about the pyromancer from hell. Ozpin filled me in. I'll be around when I'm not on missions. I won't be stalking you or anything. But you will have to keep me updated with where you are while I'm in Vale."

"So you are my babysitter." Ruby sulks.

Coco laughs at her reaction. "It won't be so bad! We can hang out too. Not very often I get to meet a kindred around my age, it should be fun!"

"Yeah, maybe. It would be nice to have someone my age I could talk to about all this." Ruby mutters, taking a seat, finally feeling safer. "But what did you mean, 'pyromancer from hell'?"

"Well, Cinder's semblance is pyro kinesis. She spent enough time under Ozpin that he learned of it. He was the one that sired her after all." Coco informs like it was basic knowledge.

Being bored, Coco wanted to get to the ground rules of being on the same school grounds with another vampire.

"So, just to let you know. I only feed off of Velvet. Just my personal preference and she seems to enjoy it." Coco smiles. "Just don't tell her I said that. She doesn't like me talking about it." The both giggle.

"So do you have someone like that?" Coco asks, just wondering. If Ruby was drinking something though, she would have done a spit take.

"W-What!? I-I…" Ruby gets flustered.

Coco laughs. "Wow! It's was a simple question. Calm down. It's not too uncommon to become attached to one person for blood. Some people prefer the variety, though. And it's usually because they are the ones who see humans as food, otherwise calling them 'sanguiners'. You know what that is, right?" Coco asks, wandering how much she doesn't know instead of how much she does know.

Ruby shakes her head, looking confused. Coco sighs, not liking having to explain so much to someone who should already know this already. "Alright. Well, it's a very derogatory term for humans. It's basically the equivalent of animals for faunus. You get it? I would never use it if I were you, especially around me. I don't tolerate it." Coco shakes her head.

Ruby gulps and nods. "R-Right. It sounds terrible anyways, I would never call Yang something so mean." Ruby mutters, thinking she was too quiet to be heard, she was wrong.

"Oh~! Who's Yang?" Coco gets a smirk as Ruby blushes.

"N-no one! Mmmmh…" Ruby gets upset from calling Yang a 'no one'.

"Hahahaha! Wow, they must be someone special for you to feel bad about that!" Coco laughs at her blushing.

Coco calms down, looking to Ruby from above her glasses, wanting to know more. "So? Who is Yang?" Coco isn't giving up on this.

Seeing that Coco isn't giving up, Ruby relents. "She-She is my sister. My…adoptive sister, actually." Ruby squirms in her seat, embarrassed.

"Wow, that's a nice sister you have." Coco smiles thinking about how funny this next part is. "You know usually, both parties of the feeding will eventually develop feelings for…one…another…" Coco's smile and voice trail off as she watches Ruby squirm more. "Oh! Really? That's…wow. That's gotta be rough." Coco says, feeling genuinely sorry for Ruby and her unrequited feelings. She then tries to pick up her spirits.

"Well hey, maybe she likes you back? You never know? Have you tried yet?" Coco asks, trying to help.

Ruby shakes her head, feeling worse. "I haven't." Ruby gets determined again. "I'm going to try though. I have to. It's not fair to me, or her!"

"I'll be cheering you on, kid." Coco says with a smile. "Well, I guess we don't have to worry about getting into each-other's 'turf' then, considering we both feed off of one person. But here's a very important rule." Coco takes her glasses off to make sure Ruby is paying attention. "Neither of us touches the other's teammates, for any reason. Got it?"

Ruby nods, not flinching. Feeling like she can definitely get behind that rule to protect Yang and her friends. She trust Coco, somewhat, but the rule definitely helps with her confidence.

"Ok. Now…Who have you told about vampires? Anyone at the school yet?" Coco still looks deadly serious.

"No one. The only one that knows is Yang and of course Ozpin and Glynda. I haven't told anyone, yet. I'm planning on telling my other teammates though. They need to know in case they get targeted by Cinder. It's only fair." Ruby answers with seriousness in turn.

Coco nods and puts her glasses back on. "Ok. Well, the only one who knows I'm a vampire is Velvet. The less my team knows about this stuff the better. Your situation is tricky though, I don't blame you for wanting them to know. Some of the teachers and other staff on Beacon also know of us, as well. But just to be safe, still don't mention this stuff to anyone besides the ones you are absolutely sure already know."

"Got it!" Ruby gives a nod and smile. _'She seems like I can trust her. At least she's good to Velvet. That's something.'_

"Alright." Coco says, as she gets up. Ruby following her lead. "Well, I guess I'll see you around. Remember, keep me updated. Here's my scroll." Coco pulls out her scroll and holds it out for Ruby.

Ruby takes her scroll out and does the same 'handing out motion' to Coco and they press them together, back first. A beep goes off and they have each other's contact information.

"Oh, right! And one more thing." Coco remembers. "We should probably say that we know each other when we are seen together. Like old child hood friends or something. A reason why we seem to know each other, even though we have only met today."

"Ok. That seems like a good idea. I guess our families knew each other then. I should probably tell Yang about this then. She already knows I'm a vampire so she should be on it too." Ruby agrees.

"Alright. Catcha later, kid." Coco waves, walking away.

"Thanks!" Ruby smiles and waves to Coco as she walks off.

* * *

Ruby makes her way to the dorms, seeing if Blake is finally done with her 'thing'. She sees Granite at the desk and she waves to him.

"Hey, Ruby." Granite replies back with a soft smile. "I'm sorry about my brother. How's the nose?" He asks, worriedly.

"Oh, it's fine! Trust me he got it so much worse." Ruby laughs and then stops realizing what she said. "Oops! I'm sorry if I took it too far. He may be out for a while." Ruby mumbles, feeling bad about hurting his family.

She's pulled out of her sorrow from him laughing slightly. "Hehe…Don't worry about. Cardin had it coming. I told you if you wanted to you could handle it yourself, didn't I? Just don't do permanent damage is all I ask. A few broken bones is what he deserves after being such a tool." Granite crosses his arms, shaking his head at his stupid brother.

"You know, you have a very strange relationship with your brother." Ruby looks at him, cocking her head to the side.

"Yeah, I know. It's tough love. He's got to learn that when he's in the wrong, his big brother isn't going to bail him out of trouble." Granite gets an idea. "Hey, since you're in the same year as him, how about you do me a favor and keep him out of trouble while I'm gone on missions? Just put him in his place when you see him being stupid."

"Yeah, I can do that. Sounds fun!" Ruby grins.

Granite laughs again. "Ok, just make sure not to kill him. Ok, red?" Granite smiles.

Ruby pouts. "Why does everyone call me that?" She crosses her arms.

"Probably because you wear all red." Granite chuckles at her getting more pouty.

After seeing him laugh, Ruby starts to smile again. "Well, I should get started on my homework. Seeya Granite!" Ruby waves bye to him as she skips towards the stairs. She turns around and sees the elevator there, no more tape over it.

"Hey, Granite? Did they finally fix the elevator? That was quick. I was just here." Ruby turns back to Granite to question him.

"Yeah they did. They found something stuck in the counter-weight chain. They said it was a stale pancake of all things! Isn't that weird? How did that get there?" Granite shakes his head.

"That is weird. Oh well. It's just one floor up for me, I don't really need to use it." Ruby walks by the elevator to go up the stairs.

"Seeya!" Granite calls out to her. Ruby responds in turn as she makes it to her dorm.

* * *

She walks in and sees Blake on the couch, reading her book. _'Yep, that book. She sure does love her ninjas.'_ Ruby smirks and then calls out to her.

"Hey, blake!"

Blake looks up to Ruby smiling. "Hey, Ruby."

"I take it, you took care of what needed to be done?" Ruby smiles innocently.

Blake puts her book down after marking her place to answer Ruby's question. "Yeah, I needed to talk to Weiss." At this, Weiss walks in the living room.

"Hey, Ruby." Weiss greets.

"Hey, Weiss!" Ruby cheerfully greets Weiss. She then turns back to Blake, still on the couch. "What did you need to talk about?"

"Well, me and her are going to hang out Friday. We uhh…want to see how it goes." Blake answers looking to Weiss to make sure it's Ok to talk about.

Weiss has a blush, but nods. "Yes, I c-confessed to Blake today. I like her." Weiss looks to Blake at the end and Blake slightly blushes at the open statement.

They are then interrupted by Ruby squealing. "Wow! I never knew! That's great! I'm so happy for you two!" Ruby looks to them both grinning from ear to ear.

"Th-thanks, Ruby." Weiss stammers out. Not feeling very comfortable in this situation.

"I can't wait to tell Yang about this!" Ruby then remembers something. "Oh, right! Do you two want to see Yang with me? Pick up some food?"

Blake gets upset about Yang finding out. "Um…yeah. That's fine. I think we should get our homework done first though." Blake covers up being upset well enough for Ruby, but not Weiss as she already knows.

"Yes, we should all go. But homework first." Weiss agrees, moving behind the couch to put a hand on Blake's shoulder to comfort her. Blake instinctually grasps her hand on her shoulder, returning the feeling. Blake smiles to Weiss and she returns it. Their reverie is interrupted by Ruby squealing again.

"Dawww…That's so cute!" Ruby jumps up and down at their display.

Weiss and Blake get flustered, sputtering negatives.

"Sh-shut-up, Ruby! Don't you have homework to do?!" Weiss takes her hand away, embarrassed and stomps her foot.

Ruby laughs. "Alright. I guess we should get on it!" Ruby bolts to her room to start.

The monochrome duo relax after she leaves. They both sigh at the ridiculousness of their leader.

Blake looks up to Weiss, smiling. "Thanks, Weiss. For calming me down. I still don't know about Yang. And…I'm sorry." Blake looks back down, away from Weiss. Feeling like she hurt her.

"It's Ok, Blake. I understand. I'm not happy about it, but…I understand. You need to figure it out. And that's Ok. As long as we still go out Friday." Weiss ends with an authoritative tone.

Blake looks back up to her and laughs. "Yes, ma'am!" They both giggle.

* * *

They then go to their room to start on the homework so they can see Yang and eat without worrying about the time.

When they start, Weiss interrupts to ask something of Blake. "So, Blake? When are you going to tell them about you being faunus. I know it's a sensitive topic, but they should know as well. Don't you think?" Weiss asks, uncomfortably. Not wanting to push Blake, but needing to say it.

"Yes, they should. But I'm not quite ready yet. After telling you I'm a bit emotionally spent for one day. Maybe tomorrow?" Blake shrugs.

"As long as you do tell them, it doesn't matter to me." Weiss smiles and goes back to work.

Blake smiles back and does the same, thinking though. _'Maybe I'll tell Yang on partner day, then tell Ruby after that. The point is to get to know each other better.'_ Blake smirks.

* * *

Ruby locks the door to her room after entering. _'Ok, time to get some blood.'_ Ruby moves over to her closet and opens the 'trunk', taking out one of the blood bags and drinking it. Refilling what she lost from healing Yang today. "Ahh…Still not as good as Yang's but it will do." Ruby then gets to work on her homework, snuggling with Wolfey while she works on her bed.

Ruby finishes first and goes across the hall to ask her teammates if they are done.

"Yes, just about!" Weiss answers.

They then head out to see Yang together after the other's finish. Ruby informs them that they finally fixed the elevator on the way down the stairs. They were weirded out by the pancake story as well. Ruby feels like she forgot to mention something while they head over there though. She didn't remember what until she saw Yang again. Without her cast on her arm.

* * *

"Hey, Guys!" Yang waves both of her hands, happy to be able to move them both again.

Blake and Weiss look at each other, then to Ruby, questioning if she knew. Ruby looks down rubbing the back of her head.

"Uhh…Did I forget to mention that Glynda healed Yang's arm today? Heheh…" Ruby apologizes afterwards.

"It's fine. At least she's better now. I see she still has her leg in a cast though. Why didn't she heal that?" Weiss asks.

"Because she doesn't want me straining myself." Yang says in a mocking tone.

"She's right, Yang! Your leg should come last. Anything to keep you from hurting yourself again!" Ruby scolds.

Yang sighs in defeat. "Alright, fine. You win, Ruby." Yang smiles at Ruby and gestures for a hug with both arms.

Ruby smiles back and jumps into her arms. _'It's been a while since we hugged like this.'_ Ruby softly hums into Yang as she wraps Ruby up in her arms.

"So what happened today?" Yang asks her sister and friends.

"Oh! Oh, yeah… um…I forgot to tell you earlier when I was here with Glynda but…" Ruby gets nervous not wanting to upset Yang.

"What happened?" Yang gets worried.

"Well…In sparring class today. Uhh…" Ruby looks to Blake and Weiss for help. They just nod their heads, telling her to continue with the story. _'You guys are the worst!'_ Ruby mumbles in her head. "Cardin, may have tripped me on the stairs in class…" Ruby closes her eyes preparing for the yelling but nothing comes.

She opens one eye to see Yang. She's still there, no emotion on her face. Still staring at Ruby. She gets worried she broke Yang until she speaks up again.

"I'm going to kill him…What the hell did he do that for!?" Yang starts to struggle out of the bed. Ruby holding her down now.

"Yang, please stop! I already paid him back! And my nose is already healed! You didn't even notice it earlier. I'm fine and he was adequately punished, so stop!" Ruby continues to fight her struggles until they start to die down.

"What an asshole! You're sure you are Ok?" Yang asks, looking at Ruby's face for any bruises or scuffs, seeing nothing.

"I'm fine, Yang." Ruby smiles warmly. "Thank you though, for worrying."

Yang looks into Ruby's eyes. "Of course. I'll always worry about you. You're…you're my baby sis." Yang pulls Ruby into another hug, stopping herself from confessing.

Ruby pulls back so that she can give Yang her food. They sit and eat together, Ruby eating a few cookies.

"How is that a proper meal?" Weiss asks about the cookies.

Yang answers for her. "Oh, don't worry about her. She mostly just fills up on junk food. It fuels her semblance." Yang says like a rehearsed line.

Ruby then takes the time to change the subject. "Ooh, Yang! Blake and Weiss are going out Friday!" That shuts Weiss up from asking too many questions. Both she and Blake blush.

"Uh…Yeah. It turns out, she likes me and I don't know how I feel for her, so…We want to find out." Blake can't look at Yang while she says it, too nervous how she will react.

"Well that's great! Maybe you can teach Weiss to not be such a stick in the mud, right Blakey?" Yang jokes, laughing as Weiss gets offended. She doesn't notice the way Blake lights up at the nickname.

"Uh, right. Thanks Yang." Blake recovers and smiles at Yang. She smiles back, happy to see she's happy. They continue to eat and chat about the classes lately and Ruby brings up the promise to help Yang catch up like they talked about before. Weiss and Blake agree to help too, seeing as they are on the same team.

"Aww…You guys are the best! Thanks, I'm going to need the help. That's a lot of work." Yang sighs, exasperated from the full week of school she's going to have to catch up on.

"It's no trouble, Yang. You're our teammate, we would expect the same from you." Weiss says as she crosses her arms and nods as she's done eating.

"She's right. Of course we would help you, Yang." Blake smiles as she gets up, also done eating. "Well, I think we should go. It's getting late." Blake and Weiss go to the door to leave but Ruby stays by Yang.

Ruby looks back to them. "Hey guys, I'll catch up later. I have something to tell Yang. It will just take a second, but its family stuff." Ruby lies, looking to them hoping they understand.

"Alright, just don't take too long. We have school in the morning." Weiss says as she opens the door.

Blake laughs. "You sound like her mother." Weiss lights up, scarlet.

"B-Blake! That's so rude!" Weiss slaps Blake on the shoulder.

Blake just continues to laugh. "Sorry…lets go back to the dorms." Blake gives Weiss a sincere smile. Blake then looks to Yang and Ruby, not seeing the blush Weiss has. "I guess we'll see you later."

* * *

Blake and Weiss leave to go back to their rooms to shower and prepare for bed, leaving Ruby and Yang. Yang looks to Ruby wondering what she wanted.

She nudges Ruby on the shoulder. "What's up?" Her eyes showing Ruby she's worried.

Ruby shakes her head, putting her at ease. "Well first, I forgot to tell you that Ozpin has been supplying me with blood bags so I can continue to heal you without taking your blood. It would be rather counterproductive if I fed off of you just to use it to heal you. It would just make you weaker."

Yang looks down, saddened. "Oh, yeah. That makes sense." _'I've been missing our bonding…The feel of her teeth on my neck.'_ Yang feels a shiver go down her spine at the thought.

Ruby doesn't notice the change and just continues with the update. "And I wasn't able to mention it last time I brought it up because our partners were there, but when uncle Qrow was here, he told me that the vampire clan that me and mom are a part of is immune to blessed silver. Apparently all other vampires are dangerously weak to it besides us."

"Wow. I always thought that was just a myth that vampires were effected by the stuff. That's amazing, Ruby!" Yang smiles, amazed that her sister is so special.

Ruby smiles back to Yang, but then gets serious again. "Also. It's nothing overly bad, so don't worry. But, it's just that…I ran into another vampire today." Yang's eyes widen in worry, not caring what Ruby just said. But Ruby put her hand out to calm her down.

"It's not a big deal! She's a nice one. I think we can trust her. I'll need to talk to Ozpin about her first before I completely do, but for now…She says that her family is on the Counsel. And that Ozpin asked her to watch out for me if Cinder…Um, the one who is doing all of this…Attacks me." Ruby fills Yang in on what she learned from Ozpin and Qrow when he was here. Now that it's just them two, she's free to talk about vampire stuff.

"Are you sure you can trust her? Be careful sis." Yang grabs Ruby's shoulders, holding her in place. Showing her that she's worried.

"Yeah, I think so. Do you remember the bunny faunus? The one I helped out against Cardin?" Ruby ignores Yang tensing up at the mention of Cardin and continues when Yang just nods. "Well, it turns out that the new vampire, Coco, is girlfriends with her. Her name is Velvet."

That catches Yang's attention. "Girlfriend…?" Yang blushes slightly, but Ruby doesn't notice.

"Yep! And she cares about Velvet a lot! She wanted to thank me for looking out for her! Anyways, the reason I needed to talk to you was because me and Coco are going to need to pretend to be old friends when we meet each other and hang out. And since you're my sister you should 'know' her as well. Get it?" Ruby smiles at Yang hoping she's Ok with it.

Yang starts to think about it, not liking having to trust another vampire. "Well, why do you plan on hanging out with her? Wouldn't it be better to avoid each other to not raise suspicion?" Yang gets a bit protective of Ruby, not liking someone else spending time with her.

"Well, I don't know another vampire around my age. It would be nice to have a friend who knows what I'm going through, you know? Besides, she has orders from Ozpin to look out for me, so it would be easier sometimes for her to just tag along when I go out to Vale or something." Ruby gets hopeful that Yang will allow it, really wanting to make a vampire friend.

She hasn't had anyone share in the feelings of being cursed. Ozpin and Glynda are way beyond her years to be like Ruby and not get it. And of course she always wants to make new friends, now that she has some really good ones.

Yang feels so hurt by this. _'Have I not been helping her deal with this well enough? Does she not trust me to protect her? Ruby…?'_ Yang looks at her hands in her lap, feeling useless in this bed. Suddenly her hands are cupped by another pair. She looks up to Ruby's smile.

"Yang? Please?"

Yang sighs, never being able to say no to Ruby. "Fine. But just be careful, please." Yang asks pleadingly, pulling Ruby into a hug.

Ruby hugs back smiling into Yang's chest. "I will. I promised."

They lose themselves to the hug, not caring how long they sit there in each other's embrace. Eventually Ruby pulls back. "I should go…" Ruby says, not wanting to. Yang looks like she doesn't want her to either.

Yang concedes anyways, knowing she needs to go. "Yeah…I'll see you tomorrow, Ruby. I love you." Yang gives her a smile as best she can, feeling like her heart stopped beating after the half confession. Ruby does the same and smiles as she walks to the door.

"I love you too. Bye, Yang." Ruby leaves with a heavy heart, feeling terrible she hasn't fully confessed yet. She wants to say it for real, but feels it's best to wait, still not confident Yang feels the same way. She can't hold back the tears as she turns away from Yang and walks out.

Yang watches as the door closes before throwing her head back into the bed to sulk. "Ughhh…This sucks…" Yang softly mumbles. _'I can't do anything for her! I can't protect her from this bed like this and I can't make her feel more secure with her vampirism. She still doesn't accept herself yet! I'm such a lousy sister…'_ Yang clenches her eyes closed, trying to keep the tears in. It doesn't work as some slip past.

* * *

All four of the girls have trouble getting some sleep that night. Yang couldn't accept that Ruby needed someone else's help instead of relying on her big sister. Ruby missed Yang being closer, the space between them and the loneliness catching up to her as she slept alone in her bed big enough for two.

Weiss was worried that Blake was never going to get over her feelings for Yang. It didn't seem that Yang cared at all for Blake in that way and she was also worried Blake would be crushed if Yang ever found out and turned her down.

Blake was conflicted with her feelings with Weiss. She knew something was there. The way she always wanted to help Weiss with her problems and be near her had to mean something, but if that was the case, why does she still feel this way for Yang?

Yang practically cried herself to sleep, as did Ruby from feeling so lonely. Weiss and Blake just had too much on their minds. But neither said anything to the other as they stayed awake, meters apart. That night was the hardest night of their lives to get sleep. Things were becoming so unbearable.

* * *

"Ozpin…Ozpin! We need an update! What has Cinder been up to as of late?! The people of Vale are terrified to leave there homes! You need to put a stop to this, now!" A voice came out of Ozpin's desk holo-screen as he was snapped out of his revelry. He sees Glynda came back from healing Yang and is present for the Counsel meeting beside him.

He took a deep breathe to calm himself. He was used to getting yelled at by now. The Counsel never seemed to be pleased with the situation. He took a sip from his flask, actually filled with blood. He could use the pick-me-up right now. Ozpin knew that what Abendrot said about the people was an exaggeration, but not by much. The people were scared and something needed to be done.

"I've been informed by Qrow that she is in Vale, with her henchmen at her side. We don't know yet, how many she has working for her. We know that the missing people are her doing, but we don't know why yet. I think it would be a good idea to enact a curfew in the city. It would be effective Monday and we would increase patrols around the city to keep watch over the citizens at night. What does the Counsel say?" Ozpin asks the monitor. Looking at the other seven faces of the Counsel.

It takes a moment and then he hears pinging as the Counsel votes for the proposition. As the head of the Counsel, Ozpin's vote counts for two tallies. And he votes yes. The final number comes up on his screen and they are mostly in favor of the idea.

Abendrot Adel comes back on to speak again. "And what of the replacement you mentioned? The one that shall replace the late Summer Rose."

"You know that no one could ever replace her, Abendrot. But her sired is improving immensely. She's not ready yet, but she will be." Ozpin then leans closer to the monitor to get everyone's attention. "But what would you all say if her sired, Ruby Rose, were to deal with the Cinder problem? Would she have her place on the Counsel?" Ozpin smiles at the shocked faces of the Counsel.

Uproarious shouting of, 'you can't be serious?!' and, 'She's but a fledgling! Even Summer couldn't defeat her!'

Ozpin puts his hands up to calm them down. "It's true that Ruby isn't on Summer's level, not by a long shot…" Ozpin is interrupted by a female of the Counsel.

"Then how is she going to defeat such a dangerous threat to our peace?!" The lady aristocrat shouts.

"Because, Violet…She won't be doing this alone. Summer was ambushed as we all know. Lured away to her demise by Cinder. We should have seen it coming. But we were too slow." Ozpin shakes his head. Someone shouts, 'It was Qrow's fault! He should have went with her!'

Ozpin slams his hands on the desk. Stopping the direction this conversation was headed. Putting blame didn't solve anything. And Ozpin needed to make that clear. "Qrow had no idea what was awaiting his partner!" Ozpin rarely shouts, and he certainly doesn't like to. He takes a calming breathe and continues. "Qrow had his own mission to attend to. And Summer's 'mission' that she went on should have been so simple for her. Neither of them saw it coming, even Summer the Clairvoyant. We can't afford to fall into Cinder's traps again. We need to be ready for what she has planned and I have Qrow working day and night on reconnaissance." Ozpin relaxes as he is done.

"Now, is that all for this meeting?" He asks, looking to each members face on the screen. None of them speak up. "Then I believe that is all. Good evening." Ozpin's holo-screen collapses and the call is cut. He sighs as Glynda walks up to him.

"Do you believe this is the right move, sir?" She asks, never doubting Ozpin, merely making sure that he doesn't doubt himself.

"Involving Ruby?" Ozpin asks as Glynda nods. "I do. She isn't ready for the duties of the Counsel yet, but she will be. And I believe that with her allies she can win against Cinder."

"Of course. Let us hope so." Glynda walks to the elevator to leave.

Ozpin gets up and stares out the window to his office, thinking about when this all turned for the worst. Cinder's ambush. _'Never again.'_

* * *

 **So we learn some about the Counsel! Abendrot Adel, hmm...wonder who that could be? :p So Coco wasn't lying about being with the Counsel, that should clear her name right?...right? xD** **I'm having fun with this.**

 **So they all are feeling emotionally exhausted at this point. That can't be good. Yang feels useless, Ruby feels lonely, Weiss is worried about Blake, and Blake is confused on her feelings now. Great!**

 **When Coco was covering that important rule about no touching each other's teammates, she didn't mean just feeding. She wanted to cover all her bases. She doesn't' know Ruby well, and she wanted to make sure Ruby wasn't' going to hurt any of her friends through other means, like seduction and toying with them. Coco is like Yang when it comes to her teammates. Coco seemed to be pretty nice, though. Watching out for Ruby. That should be fun. But like she said in this chapter, she won't be stalking Ruby. Therefore she won't be in every chapter.**

 **Speaking of chapters, the next one is going to be special. We finally get to see what happened with Summer and the last mission she went on. Until then, peace!**


	15. A Promise Worth Keeping

**So here's the flash back chapter of Summer's demise. There is also a glimpse as to what the transformation of a new sired vampire is like. And a small bonus glimpse at the end to people who have yet to enter the story. Some canon characters, one not. But more on that later. By this posting, we should have hit 100 favorites! That's so crazy. This story hasn't even hit a month yet. Thanks so much! Keep up with the reviewing please. I still have many areas to improve in and I could use your help!**

 **Now, on to the story of how Cinder killed Summer.**

* * *

Chapter 15: A Promise Worth Keeping

"I don't need your help, Qrow! It's a simple Grimm nest extermination too close to a village. I'll be fine! It shouldn't take me longer than a day." A woman shrouded in a pure white cloak shouts to her longtime friend through her scroll. On her way to her destination, she walks through a forest outside of and north to the city of Vale.

The man's voice comes back through, worried, not backing down so easily. "Something just doesn't feel right about it, Summer. You of all people should be able to tell when something seems fishy."

"You know my semblance doesn't work unless I'm within range, Qrow. And it only works on **people** that are suspicious, not situations! How can you not trust me to take out a Grimm nest? Even if it's massive, I should have no trouble with it." Summer states, irritated that Qrow wouldn't trust her with something they could do in their sleep.

"Of course I do! That's exactly why I find it fishy! Ozpin said the distress beacon asked for you specifically. Doesn't that seem strange to you that they know who you are?" Qrow keeps trying to talk sense into his old leader from their days at Beacon.

"Not to brag, Qrow. But I'm a pretty famous huntress. The defense of the city of Last Mercy was a famous tale for a while." Summer's voice dipped into a somber one as she continued. "A shame I'm the only one to get any credit though. Those towns' people fought so hard for their home. I was just the only huntress there."

"Maybe they've heard of you. Or maybe it's a trap to get you alone! The closest help if you run into trouble would be hours away, at best!"

"Qrow, you're being ridiculous! Who would want to do me harm? I've made no enemies within the Counsel. And they know I'm one of the best lines of defense should someone attack them. They would be idiots to try and kill me off. Violet doesn't like me too much, but she wouldn't have me killed." Summer shook her head as she made it to a clearing and started on the dirt path to the village. "You're worse than Ozpin with paranoia!"

"And there's a reason he's head of the Counsel, Summer! Paranoia may seem like a waste of time, but it's saved my drunk ass several times in the past. You should trust me on this!" Qrow pleads, dreading what would happen if this was a trap.

"Fine, Qrow! Waste your time coming here! But I'm not waiting on you! There's no need. I'll be done long before you get here." Summer says as she hits the end call button and pockets her scroll. Continuing toward the village that is now in sight, on top of the hill on the horizon.

Qrow looks down at his scroll, 'call ended'. He sighs and shakes his head in sorrow. "I sure hope you're wrong about being done, Summer…" He mutters under his breath. He pockets his scroll and jumps out the 3 story window of the inn he was staying at. He turns into a crow and flies north, towards the edge of Vale to catch up to Summer. Dread filling his gut from the horrible feeling she may be in danger.

Summer makes it to the bottom of the hill. The buildings in sight to the vampire huntress. As she approaches, she notices that the town…Is in alright shape. No fires, no panicked screaming from the towns people who are being attacked by a nest of Grimm like she suspected. The buildings were in good shape too. There was no trace of the town being attacked by the creatures of Grimm. There was the silence, though. As Summer reached the town and walked past the already open gate to the road running through it, she heard no voices, no movement. No traces of anyone living here, besides the buildings and street carts filled with produce and other mercantile to barter for. The place was deserted.

"Maybe I'm too late…?" As Summer muttered to herself, she caught movement to her right, darting into an ally around a butcher shop. She caught the slightest glimpse of someone's leg before they vanished. "Hello?" At no response, Summer moved towards the alleyway and continued to coax them out of hiding. "I'm a huntress! I'm here for the Grimm nest. Are you alright?" _'Probably a child scared out of her mind…Yang…'_

* * *

 **Summer remembers an 8 year old blonde girl who was terrified when her new sister started to thrash around in her bed. Summer heard the screaming and came in to see what happened. She saw that the affects were starting to take over on the newly sired vampire she created. 6 year old Ruby was squirming around, feeling her body be torn apart from the curse as she was being remade over and over again. Summer had been prepared for this and new what would ease the pain.**

 **She scooped Yang up and took her out of the room for her own safety. Yang was crying, not knowing what was going on with her little sister. She brought her downstairs and into the living room. Summer told her to wait there while she helps Ruby. Summer runs to the kitchen, opening up the top shelf cabinet, pulling a blood bag out of the mini-fridge hidden in the corner.**

 **She runs back upstairs and finds Ruby tearing her bed apart as she wails in agony.** _'I sure wish Tai was done with that mission right about now…'_ **Summer uses her shadows to restrain Ruby, keeping her from hurting herself and to help make the next process easier on the both of them.**

 **She gets the tube in the bag flowing and brings it to Ruby's mouth to get her to drink it. Ruby was fighting the black, thorned vines of shadows until she smelled the blood and opened her eyes. Her eyes were deep red with hunger as she was reaching out with her tongue to start drawing in the crimson nectar. Summer brought it to her daughter's mouth and she started to drink it. The pain slowly dissipating as her body was getting the strength it needed to regenerate from the process. Summer let out a huff of relief as Ruby finished the bag and shut her heavy eyelids to sleep again.**

 **Summer brushed her crimson tipped locks out of her eyes and kissed her adopted daughter on the forehead, telling her goodnight. She goes back downstairs to throw away the empty bag and check on Yang. She smiles as she sees her other surrogate daughter was still waiting, worried about her little sister. "Yang, she's alright. She sleeping again. Like you should be."**

" **What happened, momma?" Yang's childish, squeaky voice came out in concern for her new sister. Dried tear streaks on her face.**

" **Your sister is just going through some changes. She was hurt when I found her in Mistral and she's still hurting. But I can fix it. It will just take some time, Yang. Just promise me you'll look after your sister, Ok?" Summer squats down in front of Yang, still on the couch, and brushes her golden hair, smiling.**

" **Mmh." Yang nods and smiles again, leaning into Summer's hand, loving it when she runs her hands through her hair.**

" **Come on, my little dragon. Wanna go for a ride?" Summer turns around, still squatting to pick Yang up on her back.**

" **Yeah!" Yang grabs on to Summer's shoulders and hangs on with her legs around her waist as Summer raises up again to take her to bed.**

 **Summer takes Yang upstairs and into her shared room with Ruby. She smiles when she sees Ruby sleeping peacefully. Summer lets Yang down in her bed and tucks her in. She sees Yang giving a worried glance to Ruby in the other bed. Summer brushes her hair to the side again, to calm her down. "She'll be Ok, Yang. We just have to keep helping her for a little while longer and she will be fine again. I promise." She smiles at her older daughter.**

" **You promise?" Yang's voice comes out quiet, still worried.**

" **I do. Just keep being there for her Yang. You're going to make an excellent big sister." Summer kissed Yang on the forehead and tucked her in. She walks to the door and turns back to Yang. "I'll leave the door cracked so I'll hear if it happens again. Don't worry, Yang. Nothing will ever harm you or Ruby while I'm around to protect you." Summer gives her a warm smile to show she means it.**

 **Yang nods with a smile and turns over to sleep on her side. "Good night, momma."**

" **Good night, Yang."**

 **Summer leaves their room and goes to her shared bedroom with Tai. She tried to get some sleep, but was too worried about Ruby and Yang. Worried that if she didn't respond in time, Ruby could attack Yang for blood. It was a tough month for her and Tai. Looking after Ruby during the change was like having a baby all over again.**

* * *

Summer followed the stranger as she shook herself from her revelry. She saw a piece of fabric go around a corner of another building. Now Summer the Clairvoyant felt something was off. She closed her eyes and concentrated on any presence that seemed familiar around her. Someone wanted her alone, but who, she did not know. Suddenly, she felt the presence. "Cinder…?!"

Summer looked around, the streets still empty. She made her way to the middle of the town and still nothing. She felt her presence all over this place. _'What would Cinder want with me? Where has she been all this time?'_ As if to answer her question, the former inhabitants of the town started to shamble their way to her. Summer couldn't see her, but there was another that had her eyes on the White cloaked huntress, hiding in plain sight. One with red eyes and green hair.

"U-Unbound Ghouls?!" Summer looked all around her, searching for the black haired vampire. "Cinder!? What have you done!?" Summer started to focus again, searching for Cinder location amongst the sea of moving corpses. Just as she was about to narrow her location down, she felt the presence coming from all around her. In every building and every ally of the town. "What's…?"

She didn't have time to ponder as the ghouls were getting closer to her and she needed to do something or else she would be swarmed. Unbound ghouls she could handle like this, but only if she had room. She drew her sword from her back scabbard, White Calvary. It was a sleek, white straight sword. And made of blessed silver, the guard above the handle made the sword into a cross shape as she flourished it around her, cutting a nearby ghoul in half. The blessed silver of her blade, turning the remains to ash as it hit the street.

As she gets into position to take the closest ones around her, she hears cackling, coming from all sides. She knew the voice though, she spent enough time with Cinder to get to know her. "Cinder! What is this!? You know the Counsel will never allow this?!" Summer took out a few more ghouls that lunged at her, craving her flesh.

"Ohh…Summer. Why do you listen to them? All they do is hold us back. We could so easily rule this world…" Cinder's voice comes out in a sultry tone. As smooth as silk and just as comforting. But then turns coarse as she continues. "…But instead they want us to hide from the humans?! The one's that we feed on? Sanguiners is such an apt name, don't you agree? Blood givers, that's all they're good for! I couldn't tolerate hiding from such a weak species! Nor will I tolerate restraining my emotions!"

At this, Summer cuts in. "Cinder, what happened?! Why did you leave Ozpin? You were like a daughter to him!"

Still not knowing from where the voice is coming from, Summer looks around, trying to find it. She was still slashing her way through the horde of shambling corpses. The voice picks up, angry. "Ozpin is a fool! And so very arrogant if he believes his way is the right way! We could be worshipped as gods, Summer! Ozpin was right about one thing though, our emotions are so very powerful…" As if to demonstrate, Cinder appeared right in front of her, smirking. Her shadows, slim, tented black glass like, came to life and batted Summer away like a fly.

Summer flew through the air, shocked that Cinder could be so fast to not be noticed by her semblance. Summer used her shadows as grappling hooks and sank them into the nearby buildings to stop her momentum. She did a back flip as she landed on a wall and pushed off, landing into a roll to sprint back to where Cinder attacked her.

Summer stopped as she heard whispering in her ears. It was happening from all around her. She tried to use her semblance again, but it was no use. Whatever was happening was making her semblance all but useless. She could see the ghouls shambling up to her, but couldn't hear anything but Cinder's laughing. She shook her head, trying to clear it. It didn't work though, as she kept cutting through the ghouls approaching her.

Summer tried to understand Cinder while she fought the ghouls. "Cinder! Are you really doing this because you want to be seen as a god?! You would forsake everything that Ozpin, that the Counsel, gave you?! You were going to become a member, Cinder! You would have been seen as one of the most powerful vampires in the world of Remnant!"

Cinder's voice comes back all around her. She was unable to pinpoint it. "You think I care about a seat on the Counsel?! When I'm done, there won't be a need for the Counsel!" Cinder appears again, striking her from the side. Summer puts up her shadows in time to intercept, but the next moment, Cinder isn't there anymore.

"Where did you go…?" Summer mutters to herself. She looks around, trying to anticipate Cinder's next move. She feels Cinder's presence behind her and turns around to intercept…But there is no one there. She feels a blade slash into her aura from the back she was just facing. Yelping in pain, Summer dashes back, away from Cinder who just took a good chunk of her aura with a single attack.

"Having trouble keeping up with me, Summer the Clairvoyant?" Cinder asks in a mocking tone.

"What did you do?!" Summer asks. Not understanding how she's blocking her semblance.

"I used what resources I had and created a follower. You did the same didn't you? The one you found in Mistral? Where is she?" Cinder asks as nonchalant as possible, picking her nails, as if this wasn't even a challenge for her.

"You stay away from her!" Summer yells as a new person steps out from a nearby building. The figure was wearing the same cloak as the one she followed here.

Cinder gestures to the figure. "Fine, if you won't share, maybe you will after I start. Summer this is Emerald. The one causing you so much trouble."

Summer looks to the girl and sees her red eyes. She looks back to Cinder, astonished. "Did you even ask her before you turned her? Or did you just not care?!" Summer was shaking with fury. Cinder seemed to just spit on all the teachings Ozpin passed to her.

"Oh come now, Summer. That's her natural eye color. I saved her life. I raised her from the dead and gave her a purpose, instead of living on the streets like a dog." Cinder smirked as she saw Summer shaking in rage.

"Did…you kill her…?"

"Hmmhm…Once I found out about her semblance…I just had to have it for my own." As Cinder said this, Summer was on her in a second. Eyes red and White Calvary gleaming in the sunlight, coming towards Cinder in a lunge.

The ghouls had encircled them at this point, but were much too slow to intercept for Cinder as Summer came at her. Cinder's eyes flashed with fear as Summer's sword was poised to impale her head. It would have been a kill shot, had her shadows not taken off Summer's arm in time.

Yet, White Calvary still managed to reach its mark. It slashed across Cinder's face, cutting into her left cheek, right below her eye. As Summer was restrained by her shadows, Cinder wailed in the burning agony of the blessed blade piercing her flesh. Even though it was a superficial wound, it still hurt immensely as the particular metal touched her flesh. "Aaaaghhaaaagh…!" Cinder grabbed her face and fell to her knees, her shadows still holding Summer in place.

Summer wasn't fairing much better as her stump of a right arm was bleeding out. She was shaking and struggling, trying to get out of her grasp so she could fight back. But it was no use. As Cinder raised back up to glare at her.

"You Bitch! Curse you and your blessed silver!" Cinder was breathing hard from the pain. Then she started to laugh maniacally. Raising her head to the sky to laugh at what she was about to deem a fitting punishment for Summer. "Well done Summer, you get to die knowing that you have doomed all members of the Rose clan!" Cinder takes a ragged breath. "Because of your actions here! I will not rest until all members are dead!" Cinder smirks at the horrified face on Summer. "Including the one you just raised. I will find her, Summer! And she will die a slow and painful death, because of you!" Cinder smacks Summer in the face and she falls to the ground, still bound.

Cinder then commands the ghouls to continue hunting down the Rose that is helpless and without her weapon. "Kill her! Make sure nothing is left!"

Summer shrieks at the declaration and the thought of what was about to happen. "NOOOO! CINDER,STO-AAAAAAGGGHHHHH!" The ghouls showed no mercy. Tearing her apart, limb from sinuous limb. Emerald watched, disgusted by the cries, but something inside her was craving to be able to join in. The hunger was small so early on, but still there.

Cinder turned to Emerald and at first Emerald hoped she would give her permission to feed like she wanted to. But the thought was wiped away with a back hand to her face and she went to the ground. Cinder was not happy with her slip up. She was supposed to ensure that Summer had no idea where she was.

"What, happened, Emerald?!" Cinder growled out furiously, shaking with rage and pain from the burning of the blessed blade.

Emerald pushed herself up on her arms to stare back at Cinder from the ground. "I-I'm sorry, M-Mistress! I had no aura left to control her thoughts!" Emerald cowered in fear for making such a mistake as not having any reserves left to keep Summer occupied.

"Another slip up like that and you will wish you would have died on the streets!" Cinder screamed into her face as she grabbed her by her cheeks to shout at her.

"Y-Yes, Mistress!" Emerald got out, panicked.

Cinder turned back to the ghouls, still enjoying their meal. She smiled as she picked up Emerald and ordered her to start moving. "Come on! We're going back to Vale. Its' time to put my plans into action. After this, they will no doubt know someone is after the Counsel." They walk off, the sound of the crunching of jaws and gnashing of teeth filling the town center.

* * *

The sun is almost setting over the town by now, as a crow swoops down and lands in an ally. Out steps a man with black hair and red eyes. A sword on the small of his back.

He sees some ghouls stumbling around, looking for a meal, and immediately seeks to take them out, not allowing them to spread further. At seeing the bodies of ghouls around the town, Qrow gets worried. "Summer?!" He calls out. Getting no return. He moves closer to the center of town and sees a pile of them, feasting on someone. "Damn ghouls…" Qrow gets angry at another villager killed. He swiftly takes them out, all of them distracted by the meal.

After the last one falls though, he catches a glimpse of solid white under the bodies. A cold sweat takes him as he fears for the worst. "No, no, no…Summer?!" He moves a dead ghoul over and sees what's left. Barely anything to recognize his leader. The white cloak, stained in blood and gore. He looks over as he swallows the lump in his throat and sees White Calvary, still within Summer's hand. Only the hand is detached from her body, lying in a puddle of blood.

Qrow starts to shake in rage and pain. Thoughts swirling in his head. _'Why couldn't she just listen to me?! Why is she so stubborn?!...Who the hell did this!?'_ Qrow screams out in rage at his uselessness. Slamming his fists into the cobblestone street.

He rose up after a while. "I'm sorry, Summer…" He whispers to his long dead friend and stares up at the horizon, blinking away tears as he takes her sword. Needing something to prove she's gone to Tai. The man that already lost one love.

* * *

While the Counsel meeting was taking place hours ago in Ozpin's office. And the girls were all struggling to get some sleep. Movement was taking place in the warehouse district.

White Fang members were moving within an abandoned warehouse. Some were outside keeping watch. Some were inside, making sure the massive amount of ghouls stayed within the designated area as to not escape and attack their own men. Keeping them locked in shipping containers until such a time as to release them.

In a secluded room, at the back of the warehouse. There was a meeting being held. A woman's voice picks up, ordering around the others as she sees fit. "Roman. You and Neo need to gather the man power. The White Fang could be putting its uses to better things than making sure the ghouls stay put." Cinder, the murderer of Summer, glares over to a man in a white suit and bowler hat, holding a cane, and a smaller girl with mismatching eyes and a parasol. Cinder still had the burning scar on her face from White Calvary. She rubbed it after ordering Roman.

"Right. Cause we wouldn't want the animals to be overlooking other animals now would we?" The man named Roman jokes.

A fist slams the table at his racism. And everyone turns to look at the other man. A white Grimm mask with slits of red over it. The man had bull horns hidden in his locks of red hair. He had a grimace on his face pointed towards a smirking Roman. "Say that again, Roman! It will be the last you ever speak as I cut out your tongue!"

" **Adam!"** An angry voice that sends chills down their spine, calls out from the other side of the table as they all turn to it, scared. Cinder was glaring between Adam for his interruption of the meeting and Roman for his blatant goading. They both gulped, not liking her anger angled towards them. It meant punishment usually. Cinder took a deep breath after catching their attention to calm down. "Do not interrupt this meeting again." She tells the faunus, anger in her eyes, saying, 'please give me a reason'. Her eyes then trail to Roman. "And you…" Roman laughs nervously and points to himself. His little bodyguard rolls her heterochromatic eyes at his foolishness.

"Stop goading Adam into yelling. One more outburst from him that is caused by something you did, and both of you are going to feel the cold clammy hands of death. How you interoperate that is up to you." Cinder grins maliciously.

The both nod and Adam takes his seat again. Cinder continues. "I want both of you as my loyal sanguiners. The blood you provide is most appreciated." Cinder smirks at them as they try and sink away. Her smirk vanishes, turning into a scowl as she continues. "But if you can't follow orders then, I guess I'll just have to do to you what I did to Emerald and Mercury."

As she says so, the ones called out step toward her and away from the door to present themselves as she requested. They were both still as statues in her presence. Even if they wanted to relax, they couldn't while she ordered them to present themselves. They were bound to follow her commands when given.

At the proposition, both men shook their heads, not wanting to become a slave for her. Not that their current predicament was much better, being walking blood bags, but at least they were still alive.

"Good…" Cinder smirks again. "…Mercury, Emerald. You two are to help with luring locals away and turn them. It shouldn't be much of a problem for you, Emerald. Your semblance is most helpful with this task."

"Yes, Mistress." They both say in unison and bow their heads. The turn around and walk out to fulfill their duty as Cinder dismisses them. As Mercury walks away he has a grimace on his face from being ordered around. Not that he could do anything about it.

Cinder then turns to Adam, her face a neutral one. "Adam, I shall allow you to track down your 'love' so long as you continue with your search for Summer's last Rose. You said that you had a lead that she was in Vale, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am." Adam bows his head, knowing what he gets for showing disrespect. He then gestures to the wall behind him. A figure steps out of the darkness and shows herself. She wears a black body suit with red highlights around the shoulders and knees. It accents her body perfectly, showing her beautiful curves with her bigger than average bust. From the bridge of her nose down to her chin, is covered by a black and red Nevermore Grimm mask in the shape of its beak. Small black and brown cat ears poke out of her matching short black and brown hair. "Ma'am." The figure also bows to Cinder and she smiles, approvingly.

"This is Scarlett Star. She's my new partner. I've been tasking her with finding Blake and she thinks she's narrowed down where she is located." Adam speaks for Scarlett. But is interrupted by Cinder.

"I don't care about your 'love', Adam! Where is the Rose?!" She slams her hands on the long table between them.

"Of course. I was getting to that. Scarlett believes that Blake is located at Beacon, and Blake's appointed leader may match the description of a member of the Rose clan. Someone with red hair and grey eyes." Adam apologizes for not explaining faster, not meaning it. So tired of being bossed around by this monstrous human. "Scarlett happens to be our top marksman and scout for the White Fang. She is good at what she does."

"Are you sure about this?" Cinder glares at Scarlett, wanting to hear her say it. Cinder was about to pop, either out of anger or joy, depending on her answer.

Scarlett looks to Adam for permission to speak and he nods back to Cinder. "Yes, Ma'am. I am sure. While I haven't seen either of them. I have heard people talking about two outstanding students at Beacon Academy. One able to best Pyrrha Nikos and the other besting Weiss Schnee. Both matching Blake and a member of the Rose clan as you have described. The girl was said to disappear into a sea of roses as she teleported around the school." Scarlett got nervous as Cinder's demeanor shifted. She was shaking and tense before she clarified how she knew. Now she was still shaking, but she was looking at her, smiling manically.

Cinder exploded into a fit of maniacal laughter at the description of a Rose. Finally she could make due on the promise she made to Summer. Maybe now her scar will stop aching.

She calms down and looks to Adam. Not caring how scared everyone seemed by her laughing.

"Adam…She has done well. Now, I want you to take your men and watch for any passages from Beacon to Vale. Keep an eye out for any people fitting the description of this little Rose. Now, you are all dismissed. Get to work." Cinder shoos them off as she looks to Neo.

"Except you. Stay, Neo." Cinder gets out in a sultry voice as she commands. Neo and Roman look at each other and worry spreads to both of their faces.

Roman turns to interject, but is cut off by Cinder's glare. Telling him to drop it, or else. Neo grabs his arm and gives him a nervous smile, trying to stop his worrying. She goes over to Cinder and the rest file out.

* * *

Neo turns to Cinder, fear in her pink eyes, as Cinder caresses her cheek to calm her. It does nothing more than send a chill down her spine.

"Neo…You know what I want. Are you going to give it willingly? Or am I going to have to take it?" Cinder's voice sounds out as sweet honey tipped with poison.

Neo closes her eyes and sighs soundlessly. She tilts her head up giving Cinder a clear route to her neck and blood.

"Good girl…" Cinder sinks her teeth into her and drains her as much as she can spare without killing her.

Neo eventually loses her balance. Feeling lightheaded from the blood loss. Cinder catches her and holds her up to keep her level so she can continue drinking from her. Cinder gets as much as she wants and Neo eventually passes out.

"Ahhh…Good girl." Cinder coos again, as she dislodges her fangs from her throat, to the unconscious girl.

Cinder picks her up and walks her out the door to a waiting Roman. He looks up and sees Neo in her arms. But before he can shout, she puts her hand up.

"This is your doing Roman. Next time don't interrupt my meeting by antagonizing Adam! She's still alive, only passed out." Cinder hands her over to Roman and he gingerly accepts the small girl. Cinder caresses his face with her sharp fingernails, whispering to him. "Now don't do it again…Or you won't have to worry about your little play thing anymore!" She pushes him away.

He turns around, not having to be told twice, and leaves with Neo in his arms. Worried for her safety.

Cinder smirks as he disappears around the corner. Feeling energized from the fear she gets from everyone as well as the feeding. She goes back to the meeting room and sits down, thinking of the little Rose that almost got away. **"Almost…"** Cinder's hands alight with flame as she watches it flicker and dance in her hands, imagining the last rose burning of a rose bush.

* * *

 **Oh! That near title drop though! As Cinema Sins would say, "Roll credits!" XD I know! It was terrible what happened to Summer. I did warn you though when Qrow talked about it in "Just Visiting." He mentioned how horrible the site was. And yeah, Cinder is a little crazy. That's what happens when you don't control your emotions as a vampire. You do get much stronger, but at the cost of your sanity.**

 **And another OC, yeah. Scarlett does share a similar name to Scarlet David from team SSSN, but I really didn't think of him when I came up with her name. It was just a coincidence. But again, she only plays a specific part in the story. It isn't about her. She will be brought up again, though. I'm not done with her and this actually wasn't the first instance I mentioned her. She knew Blake. That is all. :p**

 **Until next time! Peace!**


	16. Best Laid Plans

**Yay! Back to how school life is for our favorite team! The girls are all really tired though. This will be a little rough for them. Anyways, so my other story is still taking more time to finish. "The Panther Sinks Her Claws" was supposed to be a one-shot, and now it's a four shot at least. Oh, well. It's being very well received. Almost has as many favorites as this story and it's only been out for a little over a week! That's crazy. Thanks people! For both stories.**

 **And with that, to the next chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 16: Best Laid Plans...

It felt like Blake had just fallen to sleep as she heard Weiss' alarm blaring next to her. She opened her eyes with a start and then rolled over. Away from the scroll to get as far from the noise as possible. She covered her head with her pillow and curled up, trying to get more sleep. She knew it was futile since she shared a room with the most strict person she had ever met, but that didn't stop her from trying.

A few moments went by and she expected Weiss to shut it off, but it kept going. Getting curious, Blake rolled back over to the other side to see if Weiss was up yet. Strangely, Weiss was in a similar state as Blake just was. She saw a bundle under the covers with a pillow over a white head of hair.

Blake wondered why Weiss would have been tired, but nothing came to mind. _'It doesn't matter. We need to get ready for school. At least we have Port's class first period. Might as well be a free period to sleep in.'_

Blake rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and got out of bed, holding her cat ears from the alarm still sounding off. Blake had stopped wearing her bow when she went to bed. It was a welcome relief that her roommate now knew about her secret. And since they implemented the knocking before entering rule, she didn't have to worry about Ruby barging in, seeing her ears.

When she got up, Blake tapped the scroll and it shut off. Weiss' bed started to shift and she popped her head out of her pillow, looking toward the nightstand where she left her scroll.

Weiss saw Blake and smiled softly. "Hey Blake. Sorry for not turning it off…I was just…still tired." Weiss yawned hard, covering her mouth with her hand as she did.

Blake rubbed her eyes again, still feeling sleepy to show her she felt the same. "Yeah, me too, but we have to get ready." Blake said, mumbling. She then gave Weiss a look to show she was concerned. "Didn't get enough sleep?"

Weiss shook her head in the negative. "No, but I'll be fine. What about you?"

Blake shook her head as well. "Me neither, but I guess that's what Professor Port's class is for, right?" Blake smirked lightly, still tired.

Weiss gave out a soft laugh as she raised up from her bed. "You're terrible. You can at least pretend to be paying attention in his class." Weiss said with a smile, not really demanding it.

Blake spoke as she got her uniform from the closet and headed to the bathroom first, since she was already up out of her bed. "I could, but why bother? I already know how to take out a Boarbatusk and other Grimm. I grew up outside the Kingdoms. You fought and lived, or died trying. There's nothing more he can teach me. Besides, his 'lectures' are boring as hell." Blake closes the bathroom door as she walks in, smirking to Weiss before she loses sight of her.

Weiss just shakes her head, smiling. She then picks up her voice slightly, wanting to be heard through the door as she got up. "That may be, but your grades better not slip because you 'already know everything'." Weiss got her uniform and started to put it on after taking off her nightgown.

Blake finished splashing some cold water on her face to wake up, and retorted. "Yeah, yeah. I'm in the top five students out of the first years, academically. I think I'll do just fine." Blake's voice comes from the bathroom, muffled. As if she had clothing over her head as she spoke.

Weiss chuckled at her bragging. Knowing that she was on top as number one. Right in front of Ruby, then Pyrrha. "There's still room for improvement!" Weiss heard Blake groan from the bathroom and laughed harder. "I'm kidding! Well, mostly. If you would actually pay attention in Port's class, I'm sure you could beat Ren and maybe even Pyrrha."

Blake shakes her head, knowing it wouldn't be seen by the heiress. "I don't care much about the 'leader board'. I'm just here for a fresh start and to do something good with my life. Not to prove I'm the best."

Weiss gets serious now, since Blake started to. "And that's great. You deserve a second chance, Blake. You want to do some good in this world." Weiss then looked down, embarrassed to finish. "And that's what I like about you…You always want to help." Weiss blushes, but so does Blake at the admission.

Blake recovered first and smiled. "Thanks, Weiss. You always know just what to say."

Weiss blushed fiercer at the complement and stammered getting her uniform on. "Sh-Shut-up! I was serious!"

Blake laughed at picturing Weiss' red face through the door. "So was I. I mean it, Weiss." Blake got her uniform on and was fixing her hair and bow now.

"R-Really? I don't have very much confidence in saying the right things in social situations…" Weiss mumbled as she finished getting ready.

Blake knocked on the door to see if Weiss was done and Weiss called out that she was. She walked in and smiled to Weiss. "Well, you should have more. When you actually open up to people, you can be really nice. Past all that snow and ice is a really warm person, Weiss. I know it."

Weiss was speechless. She lost the feelings in her legs and collapsed on the bed behind her, staring at Blake. "Wow…I…I don't know what to say." Weiss looked down, blushing profusely.

Blake walked over to her and lifted her chin up to stare at her. "You don't have to say anything, Weiss. I just want you to feel more comfortable with yourself around others." Blake gives her a small smile.

Weiss smiles back, but it dies the next moment and she looks away. "Is that all it is, Blake? You just want to help me, because you can?" Weiss' voice comes out defeated.

Blake frowns at her, thinking she may have said it wrong. She shakes her head. "No, Weiss. I want to help you because you're my friend! I would rather see you smile and be happy than 'this'." Blake gestures to her defeated expression.

Weiss then looks back up to her. Her eyes are glassy, like she was about to cry. Suddenly Weiss gets up and cups Blake's cheek, kissing her. Blake's eyes widen in surprise, but she doesn't kiss back. She puts her hands on Weiss' shoulders and gently nudges her off. Weiss pulls back, not able to hold all the tears back now. "I'm sorry, I just…"

Blake shakes her head, cutting Weiss off. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have said that. I just…don't know what it is I want either. I need time, Weiss. Time to figure out what I feel for you, and for Yang." Blake looks to Weiss with sorrow in her eyes. "I still like her, but I know I like you too. I just don't know if I like you that way. It's…Confusing." Blake shakes her head again.

Weiss looks down again, trying not to cry, but it's impossible now. Weiss sniffles as she tries to talk. "I…I need to continue getting ready…Go make sure Ruby's ready and leave whenever she is. I'll catch up." Weiss gets out as she walks to the bathroom door. She closes the door as soon as she's in to lean up against it and hold herself, crying.

Blake can hear it through the door and frowns, feeling awful for hurting her like she did. She walks to the door and stands in front of it. "I'm sorry, Weiss…" After no response, Blake walks out to get Ruby up.

* * *

Weiss slides down the door and hugs her knees. After she hears Blake is gone she whispers to herself. "Then why are you doing this?" She goes back to crying. It felt like she was back to square one with Blake. Like she had just confessed again and she just knew Blake didn't like her the same way. It hurt so much that she threw herself out there and Blake still didn't feel anything. _'Blake said to give her time, but the way she treats me…I just can't. Why doesn't she feel the same way?'_

Weiss continued to hold herself as her tears dried up eventually. She slowly got up after several minutes went by, and looked into the mirror. She sees the still wet, tear streaks from her crying and her puffy, red eyes. _'This is pitiful. Get yourself together!'_ Weiss slapped her cheeks to get out the sadness and restore her natural scowl. _'You're a Schnee! Schnees don't cry! They get what they want! Blake will come around! She needs time? I'll give her time! And she will see that I'm clearly the better choice!'_ Weiss gives out a 'humpf,' after her self pep-talk. She runs some cold water over her face to wash away the sadness. She then dries her face on a hand towel and applies her make-up for the day, getting ready for the day.

* * *

After Blake left the sad filled room, she shuffled over to the next room over to see if Ruby was up yet. She knocked and didn't get an answer. She knocked again and still nothing. She called out to Ruby to see if she was in there, but nothing answered back.

Blake figured that Ruby was still asleep, so she slowly opened up the door and peeked inside. And there was Ruby, on her bed, holding a pillow like it was a life line, snoring. Blake let out a sigh and moved over to shake Ruby awake. _'She forgot to set her alarm, I guess.'_

Ruby awoke with a start and bolted up. "Yang!" She looked around and saw nothing but Blake next to her. She got embarrassed and mumbled out an apology, blushing.

Blake just shook her head. "Whatever, Ruby. Look, you need to get ready. We don't have much time before the first class of the day. Me and Weiss are already ready, so you need to get out of bed."

Ruby hums in acceptance and gets up. She moves to her closet for her uniform and then goes to the bathroom to put it on, not saying anything else.

' _Hmm? I guess she's tired. Usually, she would be teleporting around the place. Oh well. I don't really have the patience for that right now anyways.'_ Blake shakes her head, thinking of Weiss and how she was going to fix it.

After Ruby came back out fully dressed, they walked to the living room and Ruby noticed something. "Hey, Blake? Where's Weiss? I thought she was ready?"

"Oh, right. She told us to go ahead after I got you up. She should be with us shortly. Just doing touch ups on her make-up, I guess." Blake shrugged, lying skillfully. Ruby didn't notice and just shrugged in acceptance, following Blake out into the hall.

They immediately bump into a rushed JNPR in the hallway of their dorm. They seemed to be as late as them in getting ready. "Hey, guys! Sorry, but we're late for breakfast and Nora is apparently really cranky if she doesn't get her pancakes for the day!" Jaune shouted out as they rushed out of their dorm and saw Blake and Ruby.

Nora then picks up where Jaune left off. "Yeah, he's right about that! Soooo~mebody forgot to get more pancake mix this week, Ren…" She gives Ren a glare and he looks away while they continue running, past Blake and Ruby, down the hall.

Blake and Ruby just absentmindedly shake their heads and continue down the stairs, being left behind by the rushed team. Blake and Ruby where still too tired and not in a good mood to be running around. If they were late, they didn't seem to care very much. Breakfast seemed like an afterthought to the two.

* * *

They made their way downstairs and saw Granite there with two other people they didn't recognize, but he seemed to know them. They were laughing about something, until Granite saw Blake and Ruby walk over and gave a raised eyebrow at how tired they looked.

"Hey. You guys, Ok? You look like you didn't sleep at all." As Granite asks, the two other seniors turn around and look at who he's speaking to. The two seniors are both women, but drastically different from one another.

One has long purple hair and is a bit on the short side, just a bit taller than Ruby. She has a few freckles on her face and above them were brown eyes. She was pretty well endowed though, bigger than Yang's bust.

The other was about as tall as Granite and almost as muscular. She was more toned than bulky though, and had shoulder length blonde hair shaved on one side.

The purple haired girl shyly waved to the two from team RWBY while the tall blonde sized them up, crossing her arms. Ruby yawned into her hand before she answered. "That's because I didn't get much sleep. Just…too much on my mind." Ruby then looked to the two new people and continued. "Hello, I don't think I've seen you two before. My name's Ruby." She shook off her tiredness to give them a smile and the other two returned it.

Granite then interjected with himself and stepped forward. "Oh, right! You haven't met yet. Ruby, Blake. This is the rest of my team. Leadia and Daisy." He gestured to the two other girls and smiled.

Blake then stepped forward and decided to introduce herself to the bigger one. "Hey, Leadia. I'm Blake." She stuck out her hand and smiled. The smile was gone as the blonde stepped forward with a glare.

"My name's Daisy. Daisy Chestnut. She's Leadia. Got it?" The bigger girl named Daisy gestures to the smaller girl as she corrects Blake. Her voice isn't deeper, but still more intimidating.

"Oh, sorry. Honest mistake. You just, don't strike me as a…delicate flower." Blake starts to take her hand back, seeing as she upset Daisy, but it's suddenly grasped by her in a firm grip. Blake's eyes widen as she thinks Daisy might throw her, but is then relieved as Daisy starts to laugh and shake her hand.

"Oh, you have no idea! My parents are the worst at giving names!" Daisy shakes her head as she finishes. "It's good to meet you. We heard that you are some of the top students of your year. Nice job, but you still have a long way to go before you're huntress material. Never assume you don't have anything left to learn. You're students for a reason." Daisy looks to Ruby as she finishes, hearing that she's the leader.

Suddenly, the blonde is slapped on the arm by the purple haired girl named Leadia and she flinches. "Daisy…You're not their teacher." Leadia lightly scolds Daisy and then looks to Ruby and Blake to apologize. "I'm sorry for her. She just likes to look out for people. She's actually a pretty big softy." Leadia looks to Daisy, blushing as she finishes.

"Oh come one, Leadia! You can't tell them that! How would they respect me if they think I'm some wimp?!" Daisy gets flustered.

Leadia smiles at Daisy and shakes her head. "You're not a wimp! Just nice, and they would have found out eventually." She looks back to Ruby again, remembering to introduce herself fully. "Right, I'm Leadia Plumb. It's nice to meet you Ruby, and you as well Blake." Leadia said in a soft voice.

Granite interjects again to embarrass his teammates. "So, you have the 'muscle head, softy' and 'the girl who is shy, but has a nice rack'." He holds his gut, laughing as they both blush profusely. Daisy punches him in the arm for doing so and he hits the edge of the desk, ramming into it. "Oww! That hurt!"

"Good! You asshole! Make fun of me all you want, but you know how Leadia takes being made fun of!" Daisy defends her partner.

"I'm Ok, really! I just don't think Opal would appreciate you pointing out my…assets, Granite!" Leadia pushes him back into the edge of the desk. It jabs into him again and he gives out yet another yelp of pain.

"Ok Ok. I get it! Lighten up, geeze!" Grantie chuckles.

Ruby then remembers Opal and her weapon from the cafeteria. "Oh, right! Where is Opal? I would like to know about her weapon. It's a pulse rifle, right? That's so cool!" Ruby squealed.

"Oh, yeah it is. It's called Diminutive Conflux, and Opal is on a solo mission right now though, so you'll have to wait before you can grill her with questions. Although I'm sure she'll be happy to answer them. She likes talking about weapons too." Granite answers smiling, thinking of his girlfriend.

"Cool! I can't wait!" Ruby chirps happy to become friends with someone who is a weapons nerd like her.

"Well, alright then." Granite glances to the clock and sees the time. "Oh, hey! You might want to get a move on! First period is about to start!"

Blake and Ruby's eyes widen and look to each other before bolting to the door, giving out byes to the group. "It was nice to meet you! Maybe we can catch up sometime later?!"

"Sure!" The other team gets out as they leave the dorms.

Blake and Ruby rush to Port's class and run into team JNPR on the way again. They were coming from the cafeteria, and it was apparent as Nora still had pancakes in her mouth. Since they were in a rush they just kept running, no time for greetings as they bolted for the class, not to be late. It was just Port's class, but it still didn't look good on them to be tardy, and they were all good students. With maybe the exception of Nora.

They made it to class right as the bell rang and all of them were out of breath. Port just clapped his hands at them and told them to take their seats. Giving them no time to catch their breath. They trudged up the steps and took their seats for the 'lecture' to start.

* * *

Port rambled on as usual, and even Ruby, who normally hung on to his every word was having trouble listening. It was due to the lack of sleep she received last night. Ruby was still thinking of Yang.

She missed the times they would sleep together back on Patch and that one time when they first arrived at Beacon. They were the only times she felt warmth as a vampire and she dearly missed it. Add that with her newly admitted feelings and she was downright miserable being separated from her sunny sister. She was still worried about how her feelings would be received though. She didn't know if she could handle the rejection if it came to that, but she still had to try. She owed it to herself and to Yang to put this behind them so she can move on if Yang doesn't feel the same way. _'I have to talk to her! This weekend…I'll ask her to hang out. Just the two of us and I'll tell her then!'_ Ruby sets her mind on confessing to her sister this weekend.

Blake was tuning out Port as he droned on about cabbages. She was more interested on how she could make this morning's incident up to Weiss. _'I need to make this right between us, but what she said…About me always wanting to help her…It's true. I was such a recluse before team RWBY, and now I would do anything to help her. Help a Schnee.'_ Blake shakes her head. _'That's not what she is. She's so much more than that…She's such a good person when given a chance. She even told me, a former White Fang member, that I deserved a second chance. The Blake I was before coming here would have laughed and thought that was a sick joke coming from a Schnee, but she was serious…'_ Blake smiles fondly of her thoughts, before the class is interrupted when Weiss walks in the room over five minutes late.

Everyone was surprised that such a straight-laced person like Weiss Schnee would be late to class. "Ahem…Miss Schnee. Care to explain why you're late to my class?" Port asks after he clears his throat to stop the room's murmuring.

Weiss stares at him with a look of indifference. "I was just running a little late, please continue your class." Weiss answers coolly as she struts up the stairs and heads for Ruby and Blake.

Port gives her a raised eyebrow, but shakes it off and continues with his 'lecture' about how he defeated an alpha Beowolf with just a head of cabbage.

Weiss looks to Blake for a second and then looks away as if nothing happened. She sits next to Ruby, having Ruby in between herself and Blake, clearly as a buffer so Blake can't talk to her. Blake notices this and gives out a long sigh, as she starts to really regret what she said.

It was a long class after that. Blake couldn't talk to Weiss and she couldn't take her mind off of it by paying attention like she was supposed to. Port was just too boring to listen to. It would have put her to sleep instantly, but she couldn't while she was still worried about how she was going to make it up to Weiss.

* * *

Eventually the bell rang out and Weiss got up to start walking to the next class. Blake wanted to stop her immediately, but she needed to talk to her in private. Not in the middle of class. So she waited until they were in the hall before acting. She pulled Weiss to the side and then spoke to Ruby. "Ruby, you can go on to the next class? I have to talk to Weiss about the next class."

Ruby just shrugs and turns around to continue on. "Don't be late to the next class, Weiss!"

Weiss didn't respond as she glares at Blake's hand on her shoulder holding her back. Blake notices and removes it.

Blake starts to speak now that they are alone. "Sorry. I just wanted to apologize again. You seemed really upset, and I want to make things right. You do mean a lot to me Weiss! Please, just let me show you how much tomorrow. I still want to go on that date, if you do?" Blake gives her a worried look, hoping she still does.

Weiss glares into her eyes, still mad at her for not making up her mind, but then breaks away with a huff. "Of course I do! I k-kissed you, didn't I?" She stutters as she flushes red.

Blake smiles softly at her, thankful she's so forgiving. "Thanks, Weiss. You won't regret it."

Weiss then looks back to Blake with a scowl. "I better not. Also, I don't want to hear about Yang anymore, Blake. Stop bringing up your feelings for her. I get it. You like her more than me." Weiss turns away to end the conversation, but is stopped by Blake again.

"Weiss, I don't like her more than you. I just like her. I care about both of you. I just have to figure out who I'm…in love with." Blake blushes as Weiss turns around with a shocked expression, also blushing.

"L-Love?" Weiss stutters out, not expecting that.

Blake's eyes widen in embarrassment. "Well, I mean. Not now, but eventually. I'm…really bad at talking about this, aren't' I?" Blake smiles nervously.

Weiss sighs, but then smiles back. "Yes…We both are." Weiss then gestures to the hallway leading to the next class. "Come on, we should get to class. I don't want to be late ever again. That felt horrible."

"I'm sorry for that as well." Blake decided to hug Weiss in forgiveness. Weiss tensed up at first, but slowly relaxed and returned it as best she could.

"You sure are apologizing a lot today…" Weiss murmurs into Blake's shoulder.

"I just want to make sure you know I'm serious." After a few beats, Blake pulls back and they walk to the next class together. Both happier from the previous conversation.

* * *

Classes continued on as normal. They hear that they have a test for Ooblec's class next Monday. They had singles matches in sparring class. Of course the remainder of teams RWBY and JNPR whooped butt. Putting on amazing displays of their abilities.

After the last class let out, Blake and Weiss knew exactly where Ruby wanted to go. "Time to see Yang!" Ruby rushed off to see her sister in the infirmary. Wasting no time to put away their weapons from sparring class. Blake and Weiss, following at a normal pace, shake their heads at their fearless leader.

When the monochrome duo got to Yang's room, Ruby was already hugging Yang and the blonde was hugging back, sitting up in her bed. She still had the cast on her leg, but she could sit up now, and Yang loved it. Anything to be able to move around more.

Yang noticed them walk in and got a little embarrassed that they saw them hugging. It wasn't a light, short hug, either. Nobody noticed it though as Yang hid it well. "Hey guys. What's up?"

Ruby and Yang separated, both blushing at being caught. "Well, we have a test on Monday. Which you're probably going to have to take…Sorry Yang." Ruby answered, pushing her index fingers together in a force of habit when she was feeling bad about something.

Yang groaned and leaned back into her pillow. "Great. Just what I needed. A test when I haven't even gotten started on studying!"

"Well, we could go over stuff, now?" Weiss puts out simply.

Yang looks back up to Weiss, stunned. "You're right! We could just study on your downtime! That is, if you don't mind?" Yang cautiously asks the room.

"Of course! We were already planning on helping you Yang. Starting sooner isn't a problem." Ruby shakes her head. Excited to help her sister.

Blake and Weiss just nod when Yang looks to them to make sure. "Well, alright then! Do you want to make a day out of it? You could go get snacks and we could just go over as much as possible tonight." Yang starts to get excited at finally spending more time with her friends. Literally anything would be better than spending the day alone. Last night really sucked.

"That sounds like fun. We could order some food when we get hungry." Blake puts forth the idea as they all agree with it. Ruby a little less so, not wanting to eat much.

"Ok. This seems acceptable. Should we go to get snacks now? While we do that, maybe we should also go get some food and drinks for the dorm. We still haven't done that yet. Vale would definitely have everything we need. I doubt we can just stockpile from the cafeteria." Weiss suggests as she makes a good point about the cafeteria.

"Yeah! Sounds great!" Ruby says, but then looks back to Yang. "Sorry, Yang. I know we just got here, but it looks like we have to go again." Ruby mumbles.

"It's Ok, sis. You'll be right back. Just hurry, please." Yang hugs Ruby again and smiles afterwards.

Ruby gives a smile and waves as they leave again, moving towards the airship docks to head to Vale.

* * *

Thinking about Vale reminds Ruby about what Coco said. She pulls out her scroll and texts Coco that she will be in Vale shortly.

Ruby almost immediately gets a reply.

 **Coco:** Alright. I still have classes, but I will be there as soon as I can.

 **Coco:** Be careful while in town.

 **Ruby:** I will.

 **Ruby:** How is it already tht this babysiter thing has a hle in it?

 **Ruby:** Not tht Im cmplaining.

 **Coco:** Wow Your grammar is horrible. And it was not a foolproof plan to begin with.

 **Coco:** Ozpin does not have an army to look out for you.

 **Ruby:** Well sorry! :(

 **Coco:** Just keep your head down and ears and eyes open, and you will be fine.

 **Ruby:** Ok

Ruby put her scroll away and kept up with Blake and Weiss. Blake noticed the texting and was curious.

"Ruby, who were you texting?"

Ruby's eyes went wide at being caught, but then remembered the cover story. "Oh, uh. Just a family friend that ended up going to Beacon as well! I ran into her yesterday, and we started to chat again."

"Hmm…What's her name?" Blake asks, not totally buying it.

"It's Coco. Coco Adel." Ruby said, wanting Blake to believe her.

Weiss has heard of that name before though, specifically the last one. "Wait, Coco Adel, is your family friend? The fashionista whose parents are almost as rich as mine? That's your family friend?"

They get on a transport and Ruby gets nervous that Weiss knows her. _'Brilliant plan Coco! It's not like people know who you are or anything?!'_ Ruby breathes in to calm herself before answering. "Um…Yeah? My mother was a friend of her father's." Ruby half lies.

Weiss and Blake look at each other to see if they believe it. They both shrug as Weiss continues. "Well alright. I just didn't see that coming." Weiss then decides to get back on track with what they were doing. "So what snacks should we get? And nothing too sugary, Ruby!" Weiss snaps before Ruby can answer her.

"Awwww… But Weiss?" Ruby gives her the puppy dog pout. Ruby didn't know this yet, but Weiss loved puppies and it worked perfectly. Ruby didn't really want anything, but she had to play up the sugar addicted teenager role since she was known for liking cookies.

"Fine…A few sugar snacks. A few!" Weiss reiterates her point, making sure Ruby hears her.

"Don't worry Weiss. I don't want to see another Nora either. I'll help 'control' her." Blake puts her hand on Weiss' shoulder and smirks at Ruby.

"You guys are mean, ganging up on me!" Ruby pouts, but relents with a sigh. "Yeah, that's fair."

"Good." Weiss nods, then thinks about drinks. "So we need some bottled waters for the fridge at the dorm, but what else?" She looks to the others as they land in Vale now.

"Well, I like milk?" Blake suggests. They get off the aircraft and walk down a sidewalk towards a random store in town.

Weiss smirks to Blake. "Of course you do." Weiss can't help but let out a small laugh that she covers with her hand.

Blake gives her a look that says she's not amused, but Ruby starts to talk again. "Well, I like milk too. That sounds like a good choice. We could get some cereal too. That way we have something when we don't want what the cafeteria is offering for breakfast."

Weiss agrees and nods, thinking it's a good idea too.

* * *

They fall into silence as they see the sights of the city. None of them were very familiar with the city, but together they were able to find a market pretty fast. They had a few bags of groceries within the hour. The group bought a few kinds of cereal for variety and of course milk to go with it. They had bought a few bags of candy and popcorn to snack on while they worked with Yang tonight. Ruby carried a case of water over her shoulder, still surprising the other two with her strength. It wasn't that she could lift it that was surprising. It was that she was carrying it the entire time, with no break, all the way to Beacon. All payed for generously by Weiss Schnee.

"You didn't have to do that, Weiss. We could have paid for something." Blake brought up as they walked back to the airships.

"Nonsense. There's no reason for you to have to pay. My family can easily afford some cereal and milk." Weiss shakes her head as they walk by an alley.

Ruby looks down it as they pass and sees a few shadows move further in. Ruby stops to continue looking. The others notice and look with her. Blake instantly sees what it is, thanks to her faunus eyes. _'What are they doing? Those two look armed, but the others…?'_ Blake sees a couple and a child being led to somewhere, willingly by two other people who seemed capable fighters. The weird thing is, they don't have them at gunpoint. The apparent family seems to be following of their own accord. Blake is about to tell Ruby it's probably nothing, but stops when she notices Ruby's eyes change color again. Just like during initiation. _'Why do her eyes turn red?'_

Ruby suddenly calls out to the people in the alley. "Stop! What are you doing?!" Ruby rushes in to help the people. Her eyes are silver again as the two leading the group stop and turn around to see who is calling them.

Ruby saw their red eyes glinting in the darkness as one of the figures looked towards the people following them. She was familiar with vampire charming to know what it is when she sees it, but something was off. Usually you commanded them out loud when you wanted them to do something, but this person just looked at them.

Ruby's thoughts were interrupted as Blake and Weiss joined her side. "Ruby? What's the matter?" Weiss asks, not understanding.

"I think these two are responsible for the kidnapping that's been going on!" Ruby calls out, getting Crescent Rose ready.

"Well, someone's a little nosy. What do you want, pipsqueak?" A man with silver grey hair and red eyes like his partner, taunts. He gets into a loose fighting stance with a smirk on his face. The other figure just groans, the voice sounding feminine, and reaches behind her. No doubt getting weapons ready.

"Look out!" Ruby calls as she pushes Weiss and Blake out of the line of fire as the woman with red eyes opens fire on them in the narrow alley. Ruby pushes them behind a dumpster and checks to make sure they didn't get hit too much that their aura didn't stop it.

"Ruby, what's happening?!" Weiss yells over the gunfire.

"They are the human traffickers!" She answers, yelling as well. "Can you fight?!" Ruby asks the two.

"Of course we can!" Weiss answers and Blake nods. "What's the plan Ruby?"

"Can you give me some cover? I just need a bit to zoom past them and interrupt their suppressing fire. Then you two can charge in and help the people." Ruby says, barely loud enough for her teammates to hear her, not wanting the enemy to know what she's going to do.

They both nod and Blake sits up, leaning against the dumpster. She blind fires Gambol Shroud as Weiss puts up glyphs to protect Ruby as she steps out.

Ruby is gone as she moves away. Already on the girl with the two semi-auto pistols. Ruby hacks at her, but is pushed back as a foot kicks her in the side and she slams into the wall.

Weiss shouts out Ruby's name as she worries for her leader, but sighs in relief as Ruby stands up again. Weiss sends a fissure of ice towards the two red eyed people, but they jump over it. Ruby attacks the guy as soon as he lands again, but he kicks off of her scythe with his boots and shoots them at the same time, disorienting Ruby. After the two enemies get separated, the family that were following them saw what was happening and ran. Screaming for their lives as bullets and dust were peppering the area around them.

Blake and Weiss then turn their attention on the girl and open fire with dust and bullets. The girl seems to dodge them all, blinking in and out of existence. Weiss saw her leap onto the wall and start to run across it, but Blake saw her continue to blink, seemingly faster than Ruby. Blake continued to lay down fire when she reappeared, but her rounds never made contact.

Weiss watched as the girl leaped off of the wall and slashed at Blake, who seemed to not notice her coming at all. Weiss made a snap decision and pushed Blake down and the red eyed girl scored a direct hit on Weiss back. She felt it tear into her aura and it flickered a bit. Weiss started to get really worried. Another hit and she may suffer major damage. She already wasn't doing well today, due to lack of sleep, but after the singles duel in class and this fight taking a lot of dust manipulation. Weiss was running low on aura now.

Blake and Weiss got up and turned around to see the girl, but Weiss couldn't see anyone. Blake was next to Weiss as she just stood there, looking around for someone who Blake could see, was directly in front of her. The mysterious person lifted up her pistol and fired on Weiss, point blank. The crack of the gun rang out as Blake screamed for Weiss.

* * *

Ruby was having a tough time with this guy. She figured as much that she would. She thought they were vampires at first, but after pushing him back some, he still refused to unleash his shadows. If he was a rogue vampire working for Cinder she didn't think they would care, but maybe he wasn't a vampire. _'He could be a bound ghoul, I guess?'_ Ruby knocked him into the wall and saw his aura flicker out. She had him, but suddenly she heard a crack come from Weiss and Blake. She knocked out the guy with the dull end of Crescent Rose and then turned to her friends. She saw Blake holding Weiss in her arms. She could smell the blood as she shook her head to clear it.

Ruby charged towards them and intercepted the next shot from this bitch that would hurt her partner. Ruby threw her into the wall and suddenly she was gone. She got ready to retaliate, but nothing ever came. She turned around and saw that the green haired bitch was helping her silver haired friend away. She would have followed, but she heard Blake call out for Weiss again.

* * *

Weiss felt the round go through her and she collapsed backwards, into Blake's arms. Blood was pouring out of her chest as Blake looked to her, worried. Blake was yelling at Weiss but she couldn't hear anything as the darkness was creeping at the edge of her vision. She saw the green haired, red eyed girl point her pistol at Blake next, but was interrupted as Ruby showed up. Weiss' eyes closed after that, as she passed out in Blake's arms.

* * *

 **Well, shit! Weiss is dying before monochrome can truly become a ship! And don't start yelling about how Ruby can just turn her! Come on, people! You guys act like death has no real consequence! This isn't Dragon Ball Z! Just wait and see what happens. I'm sorry, but I just ended this story on a cliff hanger right after I ended Panther on a cliff hanger as well. I have to update that first before this one. So you'll have to wait a few days.**

 **On to brighter notes, how did you like the other members of Granite's team? Lets see... Granite Winchester, Opal (haven't given her last name out yet), Leadia Plumb (Leadia is pronounced like Lidia, but with the element of lead in the front. That's also where her last name came from. Plumbum is actually the name of Lead in Latin) And Daisy Chestnut. What could their team name be? I wonder? xD**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All characters are all owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. I do however, own team GOLD and Scarlett Star. They are my characters and if you wish to use them, you may, but you have to ask me first.**

 **And about the characteristics of the bound ghouls. It will be explained next chapter, unless it goes to long and is pushed to the next.**

 **Anyways, please review and follow along if you want to talk about something and you want to keep up with the story! Peace!**


	17. Close Call

**Here it is! The next chapter after Weiss got capped. Sorry. Sorry. xD So the title may appear like a spoiler, but is it, or is it misleading? :p You'll have to find out once you read!**

 **So now that "The Panther Sinks Her Claws" is finished, well for now. I'm most likely going to do the small stories that never made it into the main story, but later. First on the list to happen, in between updating this story, is a one-shot request that was submitted about a week ago. I haven't gotten started yet, because the Panther story took priority. I do things in order, not preference. It's fair that way. So this one-shot is going to be about Ruby falling in love with Cinder's sister. The character is an OC created by the one who submitted the idea. Her name is Angel Fall and she is a dragon faunus. This will also have a lemon in it and both Ruby and Angel are futas, so fair warning. More will be explained when I get farther on making it.**

 **Now onto the story!**

* * *

Chapter 17: Close Call

After Ruby ran off the sure to be ghouls, she turned to Weiss and Blake. Weiss had passed out, already in Blake's arms. She was bleeding quite profusely from the chest wound she received from the gun shot. If Ruby had to guess, she would say it was very close to her heart, if not right on it. As Ruby started to watch the blood flow out though, she felt the hunger creeping up.

Ruby covered her mouth and nose to try and stifle it before it became a major problem, but she couldn't pull her eyes away from it, the crimson liquid. Suddenly Blake's voice cut into her mind and snapped her out of it.

"Ruby, what are we going to do?! She's dying! Weiss is dying!" Blake was trying to keep pressure on the wound, but blood just streamed through her fingers as it kept flowing. "It won't stop, Ruby! Help! Help her!" Blake was pleading as Weiss' breathing was getting shorter.

Ruby clenched her eyes shut for a moment to get her head together. Ozpin was right, she needed to learn to control herself better. Ruby pulled out her scroll and hit call on the last number that was listed. Coco.

A few rings and it picked up. "Ruby? What's up? Classes just got out. Me and Vel are heading over now…" Coco started to say calmly, until Ruby stopped her.

"Coco, please! Weiss was shot and I need to know where to go to help her! Do you know of any hospitals in Vale?!" Ruby shouted into the scroll, too worried about Weiss to care about pleasantries.

"Woah, slow down! The heiress was shot? How?" Coco asked, confused as to what happened in just a few hours at Vale.

"Two-…!" Ruby then remembered she wasn't alone, and couldn't actually tell her the full truth in front of Blake. She cut herself off and thought about what she could say. "Two goons attacked us. It was definitely the human traffickers that have been on the news. They were taking people, so we stepped in to help! Look, Coco. I need to know where to go to get her help! She's losing a lot of b-blood!" Ruby was pacing in a line back and forth, nervous for her partner.

"Ok. Ok. Uhm…Tell me where you are and I'll give you directions as best I can to the Vale Central Hospital. Velvet and I just got to the air docks and are on our way!" Coco says as she sounds like she's sprinting, through the scroll.

"Uh..Uhh…" Ruby moves to the edge of the ally to look for a street sign. "…We're on 5th street!"

Ruby then turns to Blake, lowering her scroll for now. "Blake, we need to get Weiss ready to move! We need to go! We can get the groceries later. Come on, lets go!" Ruby reaches for Blake's shoulder to nudge her aside, but Blake shrugs it off.

"I…I should have been the one…Why did she do it?" Blake started to sob into Weiss shoulder as she cried over her.

"You can ask her later! Right now, we need to get her some help! Come on, Blake! Do you want her to bleed out?!" Ruby pulls on Blake again, not giving her a choice. Blake shrugs it off again. This time moving on her own as she picks Weiss up in her arms to carry her, herself.

"Help her, Ruby…P-Please." Blake chocked out through tears as she turns around to face her friend, feeling unbearable responsibility for Weiss' condition.

"I will. She's not dying!" Ruby gave her a reassuring smile. Ruby felt a wave of nausea mixed with hunger as she got closer to Weiss' blood stained body. She shook her head rapidly to remove it. She turned around and put the groceries they bought next to a dumpster, covering it with cardboard, hoping to hide it. They then raced out of the ally and down the street following Coco's directions.

* * *

While they were running, Blake could tell that Weiss was not faring well. Her breath was coming out in ragged gasps and she was getting colder in her arms. They had been walking for, what felt like hours to Blake, as she couldn't stop her tears from pouring out for her best friend… _'Please, Weiss! Don't die! You idiot, why did you push me out of the way?! You can't die! I…I can't accept that!'_ Blake gripped tighter as more sadness washed over her. _'How can you just leave me like that?!'_

Blake's thoughts are cut off as Ruby shouts. "There it is! The hospital! Come on, Blake! We're almost there!" Ruby then puts her scroll back up to her face to talk to Coco. "We made it, Coco! I'll text you when we know where Weiss is going to be."

"Alright. Go, Ruby. Hurry!" Coco says as she puts her scroll away, already on the air ship.

Blake and Ruby head inside with Weiss' limp body in Blake's arms. "We need help!" Ruby calls out to the staff. The nurses see Weiss and get a gurney out for her. Blake sets her down and holds onto her hand as she squeezes lightly. She feels a light squeeze back and her eyes widen at the response. Weiss was still unconscious, but Blake felt it. Weiss was still there, and that was all the reassurance she needed for now. Blake smiles through tears at Weiss' still body.

The hospital staff rush Weiss to the Emergency Room and halt Ruby and Blake at a door labeled, 'ER 1'. "You can't come with us in here. The waiting room is right over there." A nurse says as she points to some chairs in a corner.

Ruby nods first and then leads a sad Blake over to the chairs to sit down. Ruby put a hand on Blake's shoulder in comfort, but Blake just leaned on Ruby's shoulder entirely. Ruby wrapped her arm around Blake as best she could, being slightly smaller than her. Blake was holding herself as she was still thinking that she should have done something. Maybe if she would have warned Weiss she would have moved away, or if she would have seen the other girl coming, Weiss wouldn't have needed to push her away in the first place.

"Blake, she'll be fine. You have to believe that." Ruby tried to console as Blake shook her head.

"This is my fault! If I had seen her coming, Weiss wouldn't have needed to push me out of the way!" Blake sobbed out.

Ruby gripped harder on her shoulder to stop her shaking. "Blake, no! You did nothing wrong. It was a mistake and you can't blame yourself for what Weiss decided to do! She cares about you, Blake. She would do it again if she needed to."

"I don't want her to! She should take care of herself!" Blake cries into Ruby's shoulder.

Ruby smiles warmly to Blake, knowing what she means when she cares so much about someone. "Then you should help take care of her, Blake…" Blake stops crying and looks up to Ruby, questioningly. "…If she protects you, then you need to protect her. You're both strong, but…you're stronger together. You'll be there for her next time, right?" Ruby gives Blake another encouraging smile.

Blake looks back down as she thinks, and then she nods in confirmation. "I will…" Blake starts to calm down, waiting it out with Ruby as Weiss is operated on. Ruby decides to take the moment to text Coco that Weiss is in ER 1, her arm still around Blake.

* * *

In the ER, Weiss' heart rate stutters a bit as it gets slower…and then stops. "Get me the defibrillator!" The doctor calls out to the nurses. After the nurses set up the IV and blood transfusion for Weiss, they rush to the side of the room to move a cart closer to the doctor. He picks up the two paddles and one of the nurses puts a gel substance on one of them as he puts them together to spread it. The other nurse turns on the machine as the doctor calls out, 'clear!' He then presses them onto Weiss chest, sending a jolt straight to Weiss' heart to try and jump start it.

The doctor looks to the EKG monitor and there is no permanent change. He gets ready for another one immediately, pressing it to Weiss' chest to send another charge into her heart. Looking back to the monitor, he sees that it's weak, but her heart is beating at an erratic rhythm. Since he noticed that the dust bullet had an exit wound as well, he just needed to bandage up both wounds on opposite sides of her body. Making sure to keep the remaining blood and the new blood from leaking out again. The hard part was over, now he just needed to keep an eye on her for anymore slip ups.

He wipes his forehead with his arm and looks over to one of the nurses. "Go tell the one's that brought her in that she's stable for now, but I still need to monitor her vitals for any changes." The woman nods and walks out while the doctor and other nurse continue to watch over Weiss.

* * *

Ruby and Blake see one of the nurses come out in a hurry, looking rushed. It worries both of them, but they raise up to hear what she has to say. Blake asks first, being more impatient. "How is she? Any changes in her condition?"

The nurse puts up a hand to stop her and smiles. "Don't worry, she's doing better. Her wounds are dressed and she's getting a steady amount of blood back. The difficult part is behind us now, she just needs to remain strong and she'll be fine."

Blake and Ruby smile at the good news. They both tell the nurse 'thank you for helping her.' The nurse smiles and nods again.

"We were just doing our jobs, there's no need to thank us. We're happy we could help her. I should get back though, we still need to be ready for any irregularities. I'll keep you updated if anything changes." The nurse walks back into the ER and Ruby and Blake let out a sigh of relief that Weiss is Ok for now.

Ruby and Blake go back to sitting down, the worry reduced for now. Blake speaks up quietly, to Ruby after a moment of silence. "Thank you, Ruby. For calming me down. You were right. I should help her if she's willing to help me." Blake smiles at Ruby for being a good friend. She then realizes that Ruby really has been such a good friend to her since she met her.

Blake looks around to make sure no one is around while thinking to herself. _'There's no one to see us…Maybe I could tell her here? I need to tell them eventually.'_ Blake takes a calming breath before getting Ruby's attention again. "Ruby? I have something to tell you…" Ruby looks over and sees her serious look and gives her, her full attention.

"What is it, Blake?" Ruby then smiles thinking she knows what it's about. "You like Weiss, right? I already figured that out, Blake." Ruby's grin gets bigger as she sees Blake blush and sputter.

"W-What?! No! I-I mean, I do, but…Ughh…How did you find out?" Blake gives up seeing as she couldn't hide it very well anymore, there was something she felt for Weiss. She knew that much about herself.

"Duh? The date you two are going on tomorrow has to mean you feel something for her, right? Not including how you just cried your eyes out for her." Ruby laughs at Blake's face, but then stops as she remembers the date they had planned for tomorrow. "Oh, uh…I guess that date will have to wait if she's in the hospital, huh? Sorry, Blake." Ruby rubs the back of her head, not knowing what to say.

"I…I don't think it matters anymore." Blake shakes her head slowly. "You're right. I do like her…Maybe…Maybe it's more than that too." Blake blushes profusely as she thinks about what she said.

Ruby giggle a little as she watches Blake come to terms with her emotions. "Well, then you need to tell her that. I think she'll be very happy to hear it, Blake. She definitely feels the same way. I'm sure you already knew that, though." Blake gives a nod, still blushing.

Blake then remembers what brought this conversation on. "Ruby, thanks again, but this wasn't what I wanted to talk about." Blake gains Ruby's attention again.

"Oh? Then what is?" Ruby cocks her head to the side, reminding Blake of a puppy.

Blake smiles and then looks around one more time to see if anyone is around. With the coast clear, Blake starts to remove her bow for Ruby to see her biggest secret. As the bow comes undone, Ruby looks up to the top of her head to see what she's doing.

Ruby's eyes widen as she sees the black cat ears twitch after being uncovered. "B-Blake…?" Ruby barely gets out as she processes what's happening. _'She's a faunus?! That's…I had no idea! Wait if she's a faunus, then…'_ Ruby starts to think of the worst case scenario. _'Has she figured out that I'm different already?'_ Ruby gulps at the possibility that Blake has noticed something.

Blake starts to talk again. "I'm a faunus, yes. I was worried how people might see me, so I hid my ears." Blake looked back up to her ears as they wiggled in the cold, air conditioned hospital room. She put her bow back on, so no one else could see if they came by. "I already told Weiss about it…and I'm telling you now, because I think I can trust you Ruby. Can I trust you?" Blake gives Ruby a serious look, not angry, just serious. Blake was asking her to answer truthfully.

"Oh! Y-Yes, Blake! I won't tell anyone, I swear! I'm fine with faunus. I'm friends with Velvet aren't I? It doesn't change a thing between us, honest!" Ruby waves her hands rapidly, uncomfortable in the position she was in.

Blake smiles, knowing she made the right choice. "Thank you, Ruby. I'll tell more people when I'm ready, but as it stands…I would like to keep it between us and Weiss. I haven't told Yang yet either." Blake shakes her head as she finishes. "There's…More to tell, as well."

Ruby looks over to Blake, wondering what she means. "Like what? You can tell me Blake." Ruby puts her hand on Blake's shoulder to show her she wants to help in any way she can.

"I…I was a member of the White Fang. I left though, I no longer associate with them! There monsters now." Blake admits, shaking her head as she tries to convince Ruby that she's not one of them anymore.

Ruby looks down as she takes her hand off of Blake's shoulder, thinking on what was just said. Blake takes it at face value and expects the worst from Ruby, preparing to be yelled at, or hit for being a traitor. Then suddenly, Ruby looks back up, and their eyes lock. Ruby's searching in Blake's for any lies. Ruby may not seem like the best at picking up on liars, but that's because she usually likes to believe in the best of people. This however, she couldn't leave to chance. She had to know that Blake was telling the truth. If Blake was a spy for the White Fang, an organization that is said to be working for Cinder. Well, Ruby couldn't take that chance. She couldn't trust a spy as her sister's partner.

Ruby looked closely, but saw no lies. Blake was telling the truth. She could see it in her sad eyes. Blake must have really felt terrible for being a part of such an organization of murderers. Ruby knew they had once, done good things for the faunus, but now they were terrorists that worked with Cinder according to Qrow.

Ruby relaxes again and smiles. "I believe you, Blake. There's no way a member of the White Fang would care so much for a Schnee, even one as good as Weiss. I trust you."

Blake pulls Ruby into an unexpected hug, Ruby slowly returning it with a smile. "Thank you, Ruby! I just need to tell Yang now and I'll feel so much better around you three. It will be such a relief to not have to worry about this anymore." Blake pulls away as she wipes her remaining tears away and smiles at Ruby.

"Yeah…" Ruby starts to think that she could share a secret of her own with Blake, but is interrupted when Coco and Velvet show up in a hurry. "Coco! Velvet! It's Ok. She's stable now! I'm glad you could come here though. Weiss I'm sure, will appreciate the company." Ruby and Blake stand up to see the new arrivals. Blake tries to wipe her tears away, not wanting to be seen crying by people she hasn't met yet.

"So she's good? That's a relief. So, how are you two holding up?" Coco asks as she takes in the sad eyes and tear streaked face of Blake.

"I'm just glad my partner is Ok." Ruby then looks to Blake, sad. "Blake here, carried her. It's safe to say, without Blake, I don't know how I would have managed to get Weiss here on time." Ruby smiles to Blake, trying to cheer her up, and it works as the faunus smiles.

"Well, way to go kid." Coco nods to Blake and then looks to both of them. "So, what happened exactly? You said she was shot by the human traffickers, but what did they look like?" The shades wearing girl asks as they sit down together.

"Yeah? We should probably contact Ozpin about this if it's them, right?" Velvet speaks up as they get comfortable.

"You're right, Velvet. I'll go see Ozpin after I make sure that Weiss is Ok. I want to see her first." Ruby informs. "As for what they looked like…" Ruby gives Coco a small nod and a worried look, flashing her red eyes as a sign that they weren't normal. "…Something was definitely different about them, stronger and faster than most people. They had red eyes that seemed to glow, it was strange."

Blake then jumped in to describe the one that Weiss and she fought. "The one that hurt Weiss…She was able to blink around the ally, like Ruby's semblance, only much faster and left no trail. We couldn't do anything about it." Blake then thought about how Weiss seemed to not see her and also see her when Blake could and couldn't. "What was weird though, was that at times, she seemed to be present for one of us and then the other couldn't see her at all. I don't know what to make of it." Blake shakes her head, frustrated at not knowing more.

"That is strange…So she was able to teleport, but one of you at least was able to see her the entire time? Is that what you're saying?" Velvet asks as she thinks on it.

Blake nods. "I think so. We should ask Weiss once she wakes up though, she was there as well. I can't really speak for her, but she seemed to notice the attacker coming right before she took a swing at me with her blades. After that though, Weiss was as blind as me in that moment while I could see her right in front of us."

Coco and Velvet look at each other and nod. "Yep, I agree. Care to explain, babe?" Coco says as Velvet gives a nod and they both look back at the black and red duo.

"I don't think she had a teleport semblance, more like a mind manipulation one. I think she was controlling you one at a time. She probably can't do more than one person at a time, or at least, not easily." Velvet explains her theory.

Ruby looks to Blake to see if she agrees with it. She starts to remember the same anomaly take place with the same girl when she fought her. She seemed to teleport away, or at least that's what it seemed like as Ruby pushed the girl back into the wall.

"You may be right…That is terrifying if it's true though. She could make us attack each other if she wanted. That's…" Blake shakes her head at the thought, not continuing to think what that could do to them.

"Oh, right! We haven't actually met before, have we, Blake?" Coco interrupts after she's elbowed into the side by Velvet, wanting her to change the subject. "I'm Coco Adel and this is my girlfriend, Velvet Scarletina." Coco smirks as Velvet blushes at the declaration. Coco puts her arm around Velvet and pulls her closer.

Blake and Ruby blush as well, not used to the openness of affection shown. Blake speaks up though, not forgetting her manners. "R-Right. I heard that you're a friend of Ruby's. I'm Blake Belladonna. Ruby's sister's partner. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Coco and Velvet nod with a smile as the doctor came out of the room with a smile.

"So, anyone here related to the patient?"

The group look at each other awkwardly. They look back at him and all shake their heads no. Ruby speaks up afterwards, though. "I'm her partner? We all go to Beacon together and I'm her partner and teammate, she's also a teammate, if that counts." Ruby informs, pointing to Blake as the other teammate.

"Ahh…Well, that's fine. I'm sure her family will be here later then. You all can go ahead inside, just don't disturb her. She's still out from the anesthesia." The doctor gestures to the room for them to enter.

Ruby speaks up to thank the doctor with a smile. "Thanks for saving her! What's your name? I'm sure Weiss will want to know to give you her thanks when she wakes up."

"Oh, well it's Hawk Stevens. I was just doing my job, though. No thanks necessary. Since we're trading names though, what would yours be Miss?" Doctor Stevens asks with a gentle smile.

"Well, it's Ruby-…?" Ruby tried to answer with a smile, but was cut off by Coco's hand covering her mouth.

Coco finishes for Ruby while giving her a sidelong glare. "Ruby Tulip! Thanks for the save on Weiss, Doc, but we want to check on her now." Coco pulls Ruby inside as the others follow. The Doctor giving them a bewildered look, before shaking his head and walking off.

* * *

Inside the room, Ruby gives Coco a mild glare back. "What was that for?! Why did you lie to him about my last name?"

"Because, moron! You can't just give your last name out to just anyone!" Coco then freezes up as Ruby stares wide eyed at Coco. _'Oh shit. Has she not told Blake, yet? Uh…Think Coco! Think!'_ Coco then continues explaining with a lie. "You know, because if…people find out that we know each other, they could try and hurt your family to get to mine!" Coco looks to Ruby, then to Blake to see if she buys it, but Blake has her back turned as she walks over to Weiss' bed and sits down on a chair that she pulled up.

Blake grabs Weiss' hand and gives a squeeze, like before, hoping for a reaction like last time. Blake seemed to pay no attention to the conversation behind her as she waited for Weiss' reaction, but it never came. It saddened her, but at least she was still alive. _'Weiss is probably just too deep in sleep to feel my hand. She's fine.'_

Coco and Ruby let out a breath of relief as they notice Blake didn't hear a word of their conversation. "Well, that was close…" Ruby whispers to Coco. "…Way to almost ruin everything." Ruby elbows Coco in the side as 'thanks'.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. How was I supposed to know you hadn't told her yet? Seriously though, Ruby. You can't give out your name to people you don't know, at least not your last name. Never your last name!" Coco continued the whispering as she warned Ruby.

"Oh! You're right. I forgot that the Rose clan is special. It would paint a target on my back, wouldn't it?" Ruby smiles nervously as she scratches the back of her head. "Sorry."

"Whatever. It looks like it worked out anyways. Let's go check out the heiress." Coco nudges Ruby forward as she drops the whispering, moving over with Ruby and Velvet to sit down with Blake.

"See? Told you she would be alright, Blake." Ruby says as she gives Blake a pat on the back and a smile.

"Yeah. She really worried me though. We need to do something about that girl who did this to her. We need to be ready next time." Blake furrows her brows as she stares at the window of the room. The steady beeps of the EKG going off to fill the silence in between the group talking.

"You're right, Blake. And we will. I have an idea of what we can do about her, but that can wait until after Weiss is better and I have informed Ozpin of what happened. He needs to know and Weiss and Yang need to hear about this as well." Ruby squeezes Blake's shoulder to comfort her.

"Thanks, Ruby. You know, you really are the one best suited to be our leader. I mean that." Blake gives Ruby a smile in return.

"Awww…What a nice moment! Right, bunbun?" Coco smirks to Velvet at the embarrassing moment that Ruby and Blake put on. The others blush and look away.

"Sh-Shut-up, Coco! Maaan…Why does everyone tease me?!" Ruby throws a fit at being embarrassed again. Coco and Velvet laugh at the pout she puts on.

"Because you are so easily riled up, Ruby. You make it fun by reacting like you do." Coco smiles as she explains, but gets a little more serious as she switches topics. "Anyways, I think that we should go back to Beacon to report to Ozpin, Ruby. Weiss will be fine, but we need to tell Ozpin what happened. We'll come with you." Coco gestures to herself and Velvet.

Ruby knows what that means. Bodyguard duty for them. Ruby gives out a sigh as she looks to Weiss resting comfortably one last time. "Fine…Let's go." They all get up and head to the door. She turns around to Blake right behind her as they reach the door. "Blake, can you keep me posted on her condition? I feel like you should stay with her. You know, someone needs to." Ruby smirks as she saw Blake's hesitation to leave anyways. She wasn't going to make Blake leave Weiss, but it was nice to see that Blake was willing to go with her.

Blake's eyes lit up with joy as she heard Ruby say she could stay, the emotion was schooled back immediately after. Ruby saw it though. "Of course! That's no problem. I'll stay with her tonight in case she wakes up and wants someone to explain what happened." Blake agrees, trying to play it off.

Ruby nods with a smile and waves good bye as she leaves with Coco and Velvet.

* * *

Blake goes back to her seat to hold Weiss' hand again. She smiles down at Weiss as she watches her sleep peacefully. A blush takes over Blake's face as she notices what she's doing. _'This is a little creepy…But I can't help it. I'm just so happy she's fine now. Why wouldn't I watch over her? That's what Ruby asked me to do, right? Yeah, I'm just doing what was asked…'_ Blake sighs and shakes her head. _'That's a bold faced lie and I know it. She's just…So…Beautiful…'_ Blake caught herself smiling while watching Weiss sleep again and shook her head to clear it. "Huhh…Get a hold of yourself, Blake." Blake still couldn't stop the smile on her face though, and deep down she knew why.

Right after she spoke, Weiss' brow furrowed in discomfort as she let out a small groan and slowly opened her eyes. She was blinking the fogginess away from her vision as she saw a black shrouded figure above her. She gets worried at first, but then sees its Blake and smiles.

"Hey, Blake. Are you Ok?" She says softly, still feeling under the influence of the drugs.

Blake starts to cry while she laughs. "Am…Am I Ok?! What about you, you idiot? You were shot point blank! I thought you were dead, Weiss!" Blake squeezes Weiss' hand again, showing her worry.

Weiss looks down at her hand, feeling the squeeze. She looks back up to Blake's face with a sad smile. "I'm just glad you are Ok. It's why I did it, Blake. I didn't want to see you hurt." Weiss squeezes back.

"I know…It's why…I would have done the same." Blake speaks after giving Weiss a happy smile. She knew why she felt this way now. There was no denying it.

Weiss' eyes widened at her admission, but before she could say anything, Blake leans down and kisses Weiss softly. When Blake pulls back from the kiss, she explains. "I love you, Weiss." Blake started to cry again. "It hurt so much to see you dying. It broke my heart. I couldn't accept it, and that's when I knew that I was in love with you. I…I don't ever want to see you in that much pain ever again!" Once Blake finishes she hugs Weiss as best she can while Weiss is on her back.

A soft groan comes out of Weiss as she's hugged so awkwardly. She tries to return it, but can't very well, still feeling the medication and soreness left in her body. At hearing the groan, Blake pulls back, worried.

"Are you Ok, Weiss? Did I hurt you?"

"No…I'm fine. I'm feeling sore and tired, but also really happy you love me. I can't believe you're telling me this! I…I love you too, Blake." Weiss' face darkens in a blush. "I have for a while now. I just didn't want to say it to you. It would have just put more pressure on your decision to choose. But I'm happy you said it." Weiss then gets a little sad.

Noticing it, Blake speaks up, worried. "Weiss? What's wrong?" She puts her hand on Weiss arm and rubs it.

Weiss smiles again at the gesture and answers. "It's just that…I don't think we can go on our date now that I'm in…The hospital?" Weiss quietly asks, not really knowing where she was. Her mind was on more important things, like Blake telling her she loved her.

"Yeah, we're in the Vale Central Hospital. And don't worry about the date. We can spend it here. That's fine with me." Blake shakes her head and smiles when she tells Weiss not to worry.

* * *

They both smile at each other as the silence takes hold again. Blake then takes out her scroll, not letting go of Weiss' hand in hers, and she starts to text Ruby about the update.

Weiss sees the scroll and wonders what she's doing. "Blake? What are you doing?"

"I'm texting our fearless leader who went to tell Professor Ozpin about this incident as well as tell Yang about it too. She left before you woke up with her family friend Coco Adel and her girlfriend Velvet. Apparently those two are a couple as well as Ruby telling the truth about knowing an Adel. Imagine that?" Blake smirks to Weiss and then keeps typing.

"Really? An Adel worried about a Schnee? That's surprising. I always assumed that the Adel's hated my family. I guess since she's Ruby's friend though, she must be pretty nice…and able to tolerate a certain hyper leader." Weiss and Blake laughed at the joke.

 **Blake:** Hey, Weiss is up. She's fine.

 **Blake:** I'm also confirming that I'm staying with Weiss. She could use someone to talk to.

 **Ruby:** Thats good to here! Tell her I said tht im gld that she is up! Jut dont get to comfrtible Blake! ;)

Blake scoffed and shook her head.

 **Blake:** You have the worst grammar! What? Did you turn off auto correct too?

While Blake typed the last part, Weiss wondered why she scoffed. "Blake? What did she say?"

"Oh, just that she's glad you're up. I got upset because her texting grammar is atrocious." As Blake finished explaining, Ruby messaged her back.

 **Ruby:** Yeah, I did turn it of. It was buging me when it channged my words. Why does evryone keep saying that? Its not tht bad is it?

 **Blake:** Yes, Ruby. It's that bad.

Blake snickered after her reply, then turned to Weiss. "She apparently turned off auto correct because she hated that it changed her words."

They both laughed at their leader's childishness. Weiss cringes a bit after laughing with the aches in her chest, not fully healed yet. Her aura was helping though. Blake got worried but relaxed as Weiss smiled at her, telling her she's fine.

* * *

Blake and Weiss got more comfortable with each other as they kept talking about what happened and the things they enjoyed. As it got later in the evening, Blake decided to put two chairs facing each other to make a make-shift bed for herself as she got ready to sleep. Weiss stopped her though, getting her attention before she sat down.

"What are you doing? That can't be comfortable. You can…" Weiss started to blush at the thought of what she was suggesting. "…S-Sleep with me. I-If you want to, that is? It's just…That looks really bad for your back and I can scoot over some to make room for you, if-if you want?" Weiss gets more nervous as she rambles on like Ruby might do, feeling like an idiot. The feeling is replaced with worry as Blake starts to laugh. The feeling changes yet again as Blake smiles warmly at her. Weiss' worry replaced with happiness when Blake smiles to her like that.

"That sounds good to me, if you don't mind sharing some room? It's not like we didn't already do this before. It shouldn't be too weird for us." Blake moves onto the bed as Weiss moves over to give her room. It wasn't a very big bed. It was only designed for one person, but Blake and Weiss made it work as they got closer together, looking at each other nervously from laying on their sides. "Maybe…It is a little weird…" Blake mumbled, the proximity to Weiss made her a bit antsy. It wasn't that she didn't want to be close to her, the opposite really, her presence was overwhelming at that distance. Blake slowly put her hand on Weiss' waist, not really anywhere else it could go besides at her side, but that felt even more awkward.

Weiss twitched at the hand touching her, but relaxed afterwards. They stared at each other as the peace and quiet took over, besides the EKG machine, which got a bit more rapid after Blake got into the bed. They paid it no mind though as they stared into each other's eyes and gave one last peck on the lips before going to sleep together, Weiss, in Blake's arms, as she pulled her arms close to her chest, in-between them and slept peacefully.

* * *

 **You were right! The title was a spoiler. But I made you think twice didn't I? Sure you can message me and tell me that I didn't fool you, but I won't believe a word of it! xD I'll stop now.**

 **So Monochrome is here! Finally!**

 **So next to update will be the one-shot with Angel, then back to this, then something else that is a surprise. Someone knows. But I won't say who!**

 **Anyways... Review favorite follow all that good stuff! Things are getting so enteresting! Ruby now knows about Blake's secret. And Ruby is now worried that Blake will come to know hers soon. She'll have to tell her soon, right? We shall see. Peace!**


	18. Word on the Grapevine

**Alright! Next chapter. This title is alluding to the passing of information, as that is what happens throughout all of it. Lots of informing happening! Speaking of which...My newest one-shot is out! It's called "Angel From Haven". It's the dragon faunus OC story I was talking about.**

 **And now that that is done, I have another story that I shall work on now that this story is updated again. Me and Blackace70 are collabing again! I'm doing the last part of a two shot from his story, Strawberries and Lemons. So that means that the chapter will be on his profile, not mine. So if you want to see it, check out his story! I'm going to get started on it soon, so it's not out currently, but soon!**

 **Now to chapter 18. We also hit over 100,000 words with this story and 200 followers! Wooo!**

* * *

Chapter 18: Word on the Grapevine

Ruby, Coco, and Velvet all got on an airship together, headed back to Beacon from Vale after seeing Weiss. The red head didn't forget about the groceries that they left in the alleyway, and surprisingly, they were still there. With the help of Velvet and Coco, they easily carried it back with them.

On the airship, Ruby was thinking about the fight that happened, the gunshot that almost ended her partner's life. Ruby was so relieved that Weiss was Ok. She didn't know how she could handle it if something she caused was the reason for one of her friend's deaths. All she could think about was how she could have been faster, or warned her teammates that they were not ordinary thugs on the street. Now that she had the time to herself to think about it, it was all she did, was think about it.

"It's for their safety…I need to tell them." Ruby mumbles out to herself, not noticing the look her other two friends gave her after hearing what she muttered. She knew she needed to tell her teammates soon. If this happened again, they might not be as lucky next time. They needed to know what was after her, because what was after her, was also after them indirectly.

Ruby felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to where it came from. The cloaked girl saw Coco smiling at her, comfortingly.

"Hey, you do what you think you must…If telling them is what you think will protect them, then you need to do it. We'll go with you when you're ready." Coco gestured to herself and Velvet as the bunny faunus grabbed Coco's arm, gaining her attention.

"Coco, really? That would mean they know you're a vampire, too! Our own team doesn't even know yet!" Velvet whisper yelled as she was trying not to be heard by other passengers in the airship. They found a secluded area, but someone could just walk by them and hear something they didn't want them to.

Coco shook her head. "But this is different, Vel. Her teammates are in danger for knowing Ruby." Coco gave Ruby an apologetic look then continued. "Our teammates aren't in any danger so they're better off not knowing. We do what we must for protecting the ones we care about."

Velvet nodded her head shakily, still not liking to keep her teammates in the dark about their leader. Velvet and Coco's attention was drawn to the hooded fledgling as she began to speak again.

"Thank you…For helping with Weiss…And for this. It's going to be hard to tell them. I still don't know if I can. I don't want them to freak out. Because you know as well as I do what needs to happen if they take it poorly. I don't think I could…" Ruby started to tear up at the thought.

Ruby was just glad she never had to tell Yang this. She knew she could never bring herself to tell Yang if she didn't already know. Even the slightest possibility that Yang wouldn't accept it was too horrible to imagine. The choice she would have to make in that scenario would be terrifying.

She felt a flick on her nose and looked up to the attacker. It was Coco again, with a smirk. "What was that for?" Ruby asked as she held her nose.

"Because you need to stop worrying. I saw that look. You were getting more upset as you kept thinking of the worst possibilities when you tell them. You need to focus on the positive, like no more secrets between friends. Once they accept you, you'll be closer to them. And you won't have to worry about them being unprepared if they get attacked again." Coco finished, shuffling Ruby's hair. She laughed as Ruby pouted at the gesture, feeling like a child.

"We'll see…" Ruby muttered as they approached Beacon from the air.

* * *

When they touched down, they headed for Ruby's dorm to drop off the supplies. Ruby got a text from Blake that she was staying with Weiss when they were leaving the dorm for Ozpin's office next. Entering the elevator to Beacon tower, Ruby pushed the top floor button and they ascended. They got out after they reached the end and were greeted by Glynda and Ozpin at the elder vampire's desk.

"Ruby? Coco and Velvet as well? What is it?" Glynda asked first, not expecting the other vampires and faunus.

"What happened?" Ozpin asked, knowing that if Coco and Ruby were together than something must have happened. He had put Coco in charge of looking after the fledgling after all.

"Sir, while Ruby and her teammates were in the city…They were attacked in an ally. Weiss was shot and is currently in the Vale Central Hospital." Coco informed, hands to her sides. She was talking to the head of the Counsel after all. Ruby then spoke up after Coco stopped.

"Professor, I think they were ghouls…Bound ghouls. They both had red eyes and one used a semblance, but they didn't use any shadows when I started to win against one. I doubt that they would have cared about being seen if they were the ones working for Cinder." Ruby's hands clenched after she said Cinder.

Ozpin noticed it, but said nothing on that matter. "I see…I'm sorry to hear about Weiss, but you're sure that they worked for Cinder? Did they specifically attack you?" Ozpin stared into Ruby, wanting to know everything that transpired in Vale.

"Well, no…But they were kidnapping people! A family! So I charged at them and engaged. I was sure that they were the ones behind all of the disappearances. The one that shot Weiss…" Ruby's hands clenched further as she grit her teeth together, remembering the one who hurt her friend and partner.

Ruby slowly calmed down as she began to speak further. "We believe that she has some kind of mental semblance. She was controlling the family to follow her, but I don't think it was the same as vampire seduction. She didn't have to say anything, she just stared at the one in the front and the others followed, possibly out of fear of what would happen if they didn't follow along. Blake said the girl used it on her and Weiss as well, but only one at a time. Blake said that she wasn't able to see the girl while Weiss could. It happened to me too. She just disappeared from my sight as I looked at her." Ruby shook her head as she imagined it again.

Ozpin hooked his hands together and put his chin atop of the bridge, thinking. "This is disturbing news, indeed. That sounds like a very nasty semblance. And if they were taking people like you say, then they are most likely connected to Cinder…Qrow has been tailing people connected to Cinder ever since he found out it was her that killed your mother. I'll tell him to add this girl to the list. What did she look like?" Ozpin starts to type on his glass desk as it doubles as a keyboard. He looks back up to Ruby, waiting.

"She wore white pants, and her hair was green that came down to her neck. Her skin color was much darker than normal and she fought with two pistols that also had blades. Of course she had red eyes. The other one was a guy. He had dark silver hair cut short, but it was spikey, and red eyes as well. He wore grey and black pants and a jacket of the same color." As Ruby explained, Ozpin wrote out the details and sent the message to Qrow after she was done explaining. He told Qrow to be on the lookout for people matching this description as they may be tied to Cinder.

"Thank you, Ruby. Tell Weiss I hope she gets better soon, I'll inform the other professors that she won't be attending classes tomorrow…Is that all?" Ozpin looks back into Ruby's eyes to see if she was holding anything back.

Ruby grabbed her left arm with her right as she looked to the side. "I…I feel like I need to tell my team now. After this attack, they need to know that people may be after me…They may not have been specifically targeting me this time, but they might the next. I don't want them getting hurt if it was because I never told them they may be in danger!"

Ozpin put his hand up to stop Ruby from shouting. "Then that is your decision, Ruby. We have already talked about this. If you feel like it needs to be done, then you have my permission as this is a delicate situation." Ruby smiled slightly, but it was removed as Ozpin continued. "I will however, assume you will do what needs to be done if they threaten to reveal our secrets…"

At the stern look that Ozpin gave, Ruby felt a shiver go down her spine at the implications. Should she not follow through with it, and refuse to kill her friends if they threaten the Counsel's secrets, she may make another enemy of the entire Counsel as well.

As Ozpin saw the shiver run through Ruby and she clenched up, trying to make herself smaller, he exhaled. "Let us hope it doesn't come to that, though." As Ruby looked up to Ozpin again with surprise, he smiled at her.

It took but a moment, but she smiled in return and nodded. "I hope so too. Thank you professor."

"Of course, Ruby. Now, I need to speak with the Counsel about this matter, as well as Qrow if he has any updates to Cinder's whereabouts. We shall talk another time, and Coco…I would like to speak to you for a moment, if you would?" Ozpin got up and walked over to the giant glass pane that took up the back wall of his office.

As Ruby walked to the elevator, she turned around to see Velvet and Coco remain. Coco spoke up as she was called on. "Yes sir." Coco then looked to her girlfriend and smiled. "I'll catch right up, babe. See you at the dorm."

Velvet gave her a nervous look and hugged her, leaving her with a kiss on the cheek. "See you then." Velvet then left with Ruby down the elevator, leaving Glynda, Ozpin, and Coco to talk alone.

* * *

Still looking out the window at the expanse before him, Ozpin spoke up. "So…What happened?" A simple question that needed a good answer from Coco.

Coco sighed as she felt she was in trouble like she thought. "I would have made it sooner to Rose, but I was still in classes when she told me she was headed to Vale. I just thought that it could wait until classes-…" Coco was cut off explaining by Ozpin as he turned around with a glare.

"I told you to watch her at all costs, Coco. Classes are not as important as watching over someone who could be lost at any moment. Especially when we know that Cinder is based in Vale! We know she's here! One sighting of Ruby, one misstep, and we lose the last edge we have over Cinder. You will watch her! Every time she leaves the school grounds, you will be there! Do I make myself clear?" Ozpin wasn't loud as he was yelling, but Coco could feel the chill creeping out of his tone directed at her.

"Y-Yes, sir!" Coco stuttered as she nodded, understanding.

"Good. I'm trusting you on this Coco. If you want to work with the Counsel and help your father, then you need to show me that you can be trusted. You're dismissed. Be prepared to see Ruby tomorrow, I'm sure she will want to see Weiss again." Ozpin sat back down in his chair and took a sip from his mug filled with dark liquid.

Coco nodded and left in a hurry, not waiting a second longer to get out of the chilling room.

* * *

Glynda turned to the head of the Counsel, her oldest friend that was still 'alive', Ozpin, with an unamused look, shaking her head. "Why did you have to go and do that, now? You must be aware of how intimidating you can be when you want to."

Ozpin smiled behind his mug as he took another sip. He set it down on the desk and turned to Glynda. "I may have laid it on a bit thick, but it was necessary, believe me. I wasn't lying when I said that it is of the utmost importance that Ruby be watched over. She is a very valuable asset to destroying Cinder's goal, which I believe, is to end the Counsel. We both know how disastrous that would be for our kind. We can't let Cinder get ahold of her." Ozpin shook his head, imagining what would become of Ruby, should she fall into Cinder's hands.

"Coco needed to be reminded what was at stake. Classes, while important for the future, mean nothing if there is no future to put that knowledge to use." Ozpin then turned back to his desk and saw he had a message from Qrow. He opened it as Glynda continued.

"That may be, but she's still a kid! They're all kids, Ozpin! You can't treat them like toy soldiers. You're sounding exactly like James when you talk like that." Glynda had a bit of venom come out when she compared Ozpin to their old friend from the north. She crossed her arms as she waited for his response.

Still looking at the message that popped up from Qrow, the headmaster addressed his colleague. "I am quite aware of their limits, Glynda. If I didn't think they could handle this, I would never have asked it of them. While I agree with you that the general may have overstepped his bounds on combining the military and school of Atlas, he is doing some good in the Kingdom of the north." Ozpin spoke, reading the message from Qrow. Afterwards he finished typing out his answer.

 **Qrow:** Ruby was attacked? I thought you had someone to watch her? Is she alright?

 **Ozpin:** Yes, Qrow. I have Coco Adel watching her, but she was in classes at the time, so she couldn't make it before the fight was already concluded. The mistake has been addressed and she is aware of the importance of her mission. Ruby is fine, but her partner was shot, also fine apparently.

Glynda noticed him typing rapidly as if he was carrying a conversation at the same time they were. She bent down and looked over his shoulder to read it. Ozpin noticed the shift of weight on his chair, but ignored it. Qrow replied back after a while.

 **Qrow:** You have someone who is still in school to watch her? Are you mad? If Cinder gets ahold of Ruby, it won't be Cinder you have to worry about Oz!

Ozpin and Glynda both groaned at the threat. They were quite aware of how important Ruby was to everyone involved. The threat wasn't necessary.

 **Ozpin:** We are aware, Qrow. Coco is very capable as a huntress and vampire. You need to focus on finding more about these ghouls that Cinder has created. The one with the semblance, especially.

 **Qrow:** I gotcha. I've seen her a few times, but never saw the green haired bitch in action. She's been around since I first started to track Cinder. Every now and then, I see her with the White Fang. Should I take her in, if I get her alone?

 **Ozpin:** That would be great, but you may blow your cover, and she could get away. Her semblance seems to be very good for getting away when she needs to give someone the slip. I would recommend you keep trying to find Cinder's hideout, since you already know of the ghoul.

 **Qrow:** Ok, keep me updated.

Ozpin and Glynda then participated in the night's Council meeting. Keeping them updated on what happened to Ruby. They weren't happy when they heard that the supposed, future replacement of Summer was attacked by Cinder's ghouls and almost lost someone. Understandably, it wasn't very encouraging of Ruby's abilities. Abendrot also wasn't happy when he heard about how Coco didn't make it in time to help.

* * *

After Ozpin shut the screen off, he sighed and rubbed his eyes, tired of the day's problems. He then had a thought about the girl with the special semblance. "Glynda? Qrow said that the dark skinned ghoul was around since he started to track Cinder, correct?" Ozpin was resting his chin on his hands again, deep in thought.

"I believe so, yes. Why, sir?" Glynda wondered why he would be bringing up the girl again after the meeting had already taken place.

"Because…We still don't know **how** Cinder defeated Summer. But we do know it was her. What if she had help? Someone controlling a person's mind while another fought said person would be very difficult to beat. If Summer was under this girls' influence, then what good would her semblance do her?" Ozpin looked to Glynda, wanting her input.

"You mean to say that this girl was the one to take down Summer?" Glynda asked incredulously.

"I mean she may have had a part in it. I may be wrong, but if I'm right, then Qrow needs to know." Ozpin opened the chat he had with Qrow again and messaged the new development.

 **Qrow:** Are you sure, Oz? It fits, but what if you're wrong?

 **Ozpin:** What if I'm right? You need to be extra careful around this girl Qrow. You can't let her see you, it could be the last time anyone ever does, if she delivers you to Cinder.

 **Qrow:** Right. Damn this girl gives me the creeps when you put it like that. I'll stay in touch.

Ozpin took another sip from his mug and turned to Glynda. "So, tomorrow is when you and Ruby will finish healing Yang, correct?"

"It is…I wonder how she's handling the news right now. That girl has such a temper, I don't know how Ruby does it." The headmistress shakes her head, thinking about Yang throwing a fit that Ruby and the rest of her team was attacked and she wasn't there.

* * *

"Yang…Weiss was shot. She's in a Vale hospital right now." Ruby put up her hands with tears in her eyes, wanting to calm Yang down once she saw the blonde's eyes light up in worry. "But she's Ok! She pulled through!"

"Ruby, are **you** Ok?!" Yang yelled out as she raised up in the bed. If Weiss was hurt, what about Ruby? It was all Yang could think about as she gestured for Ruby to come closer to her. As Ruby ran into Yang's arms, the blonde enveloped her in a caring hug, wanting to protect her from the world.

"I'm fine, Yang. I was just worried about Weiss…She almost died, and it was because I haven't warned them about Cinder! I-I need to tell them, Yang! Their lives are in danger for knowing me!" Ruby shuttered, crying into her sister's shoulder.

Yang felt so useless again. All she could do was console Ruby when something bad happened, she could never prevent it from happening in the shape she was in, and it hurt her. Yang hugged Ruby tighter, not wanting to let her go in fear that the next time she does, something bad could happen again. "Ruby…I'm here. I know, sis. I know…If you think they could understand, then you should tell them. I'll come with you tomorrow to tell them when I'm better. You'll heal me tomorrow, right?"

"Yes! Of course, Yang! I'll heal you after school tomorrow. I still want Glynda to be there to make sure everything goes well. If…If something were to happen to you too…" Ruby hiccupped into Yang's shoulder as she clenched onto her big sister's hospital gown. She didn't want to cause anyone else, close to her, pain by making a mistake.

"I'm Ok, Ruby. You don't have to worry about me so much…So I guess this means no study party, huh?" Yang tried to lighten the mood and it made Ruby smile a little. She then remembered that her partner was missing from the visit. "Where's Blake in all this?"

Still hugging Yang, Ruby answered. "She's with Weiss. She wanted to stay with her, keep watch over her for the rest of the day. She cares about Weiss a lot apparently."

"I guess that date they set up is pretty pointless then, right? Wasn't the whole point to figure out how Blake felt? I'd say this made it pretty clear!" Yang laughed as she pulled back slightly from the hug. She still had her arms around Ruby, but she wanted to look at her. Make sure her little sister was Ok now. She got her answer as Ruby laughed with her, wiping the tears from her eyes. Yang helped her.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I wonder if Weiss is up yet."

"You could ask Blake, right? She would know, wouldn't she?" Yang asked as Ruby pulled out her scroll.

"Good idea!" Ruby sent a text to Blake and waited, but received no response. "Huh? That's weird." Ruby then saw the time and it was getting pretty late. She was likely sleeping already.

"Oh! It's getting late, Yang. She's probably asleep." Ruby said as she tried to get off the bed, but was held still by Yang. "Yang, I should probably go back to the dorm. I need to sleep for classes tomorrow."

Yang held tighter though, not letting go and giving Ruby a pleading look. "You can sleep here, can't you? Please Ruby? I…I haven't been able to sleep very much, recently. I sleep better when you're close…"

Ruby blushed at the admission, feeling better that Yang was depending on her for something. She nodded shakily as she climbed back up to get beside Yang. "I s-sleep better with you too…" As Yang laid down on her back, with a smile towards Ruby, Yang's sister wrapped an arm around her and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder, cuddling into her.

Yang wrapped her right arm around Ruby as she held her closer. She missed the closeness. It had been too long since they slept in each other's embrace, and she was going to enjoy it. "Sweet dreams, Ruby…" Yang placed a soft kiss on her sister's head as she closed her eyes to sleep.

"You too, Yang…Goodnight." Ruby felt the kiss and her chest burned again, like the time Yang told her she loved her. She knew it was a sisterly kiss, but wanted more. That would have to wait until better times though, as sleep came over them and they both drifted off into their own worlds.

* * *

Mercury and Emerald made their way back to the hideout after the fight that transpired. They knew that Cinder wasn't going to be happy with them. They lost their catch and missed the chance to grab the Rose girl that Cinder has been wanting more than anything. What choice did they have though? They had no other place to return to, and Cinder said that if they ever tried to run she would kill the connection between their souls, killing them as well. They had no idea if that was possible, but they weren't willing to call her bluff. It was suicide even if that was a lie. The way she hunts the Rose girl is proof enough that Cinder always reclaims her debts.

As they entered the hideout, they heard the groaning of the mindless ghouls always craving for flesh. They saw new people keeping them in line though, no longer the White Fang, as guys in black suites with red sunglasses were keeping them corralled.

"I guess Roman did his job…Maybe Cinder will be in a better mood?" Mercury joked as Emerald helped carry him in. The Rose really banged him up during their fight. Even as a ghoul he could barely walk on his own. It would take time to heal it, as aura can only do so much. His was depleted after that fight, though. So he was going to be stuck like that for a while.

"Shut up! She won't be if you keep cracking your jokes, Merc!" Emerald was getting agitated with him. It wasn't really him, just the situation. They were in deep shit and they both knew it. It just made it easier to have someone there to yell at or joke with.

" **Why do I need to be in a better mood?** " The two ghouls froze as they heard their mistress's voice. The looked up and saw her leaning on the catwalk's railing, looking down on them.

"M-Mistress!" Emerald stuttered as she was panicked.

"Where are the new additions to the army, Emerald?" Cinder's eyes were glowing as she glared at her first ghoul.

"We-We're sorry! We ran into some trouble and had to pull back!" As soon as Emerald finished, Cinder disappeared from her view and she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You're telling me that someone fought back and you tucked your tails between your legs and fled? Is that it, Emerald?" Cinder's grip started to crush her shoulder as it grew more intense.

"Aaaah-Aaah! There were three of them! And all were huntresses! The main one was the Rose girl, we swear! She was too fast!" Cinder's hold let go and Emerald moved forward and turned around, backing away from Cinder as she held her shoulder. She looked at the damage and saw blood trickling out. Cinder had dug her nails into her with the powerful grip.

"Mercury, is this true?" Cinder's glowing eyes were now on the young man, glaring into him for any falsehoods.

Mercury nodded frantically after seeing what happened to his partner. "Y-Yes, it is! She dashed around in a sea of petals! She messed me up pretty bad! Emerald managed to wound one of them. Maybe even kill her, but we couldn't touch the Rose!" Mercury's fight or flight instincts were kicking in and he felt like neither could be relied on in this situation. Cinder would end him before he even knew she was on him.

"So you saw her? You got a good look at her face?" Cinder looked at both of them and decided to ignite a ball of fire in her hand for good measure, ensuring there was no lying from them, or there would be consequences.

They both nodded rapidly as they felt like the room was starting to cook them. Instantly, Cinder's fire extinguished and she smiled at them.

"Excellent. Good work you two. Make sure to inform Adam's men what she looks like in greater detail. As for your next assignment, you're going outside the Kingdom, but we will talk more about that later. I have some more planning to do. I have heard that a curfew is being put in place and it will slow down our progress. Can't let that happen, can we?" As she was talking, Cinder walked between them and ran her fingers up the front of Emerald's neck, tipping her chin up as she smiled at her.

"Whatever you ask of us, Mistress! We live to serve you." Emerald answered as her eyes showed immense fear. It caused Cinder to smirk, relishing in the terror simple closeness will cause people.

Cinder took her hand away as she walked deeper inside to start planning the next move, now that she has a positive identification on this lone Rose that has escaped for far too long. If they make it harder to take people inside the Kingdom, then they will just get people from outside the Kingdom and bring them here.

Emerald and Mercury stood perfectly still until they heard her last footsteps. They then turned to each other and sighed heavily. They had no idea what made Cinder tick in that head of hers. They were certain that she would kill them, but they got off, amazingly lucky for what they felt like was a huge blunder on their part. If she was letting them go, though. Who were they to say no?

* * *

 **Yay! The pairings are sleeping together again! And that was not the kind of kiss I was expecting Yang! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait like everyone else. xD**

 **Emerald and Mercury were sure that Cinder was going to turn them into mince meat, but you can never account for crazy. Now what will Cinder be doing outside the Kingdom? Obviously getting people, but how? Post your answers in the reviews and I'll tell you if your close!**

 **Ozpin seemed to be a little aggressive didn't he? Ruby is very important to him, he promised Summer to look after her after all. Ozpin doesn't like to break promises.**

 **So until next time! Peace!**


	19. Rude Awakening

**I'm back! I know it's been a few days since the last update, but I was doing a collab with Blackace70 again. It's on his Strawberries and Lemons story, the Amazon Au. Both of the chapters that I wrote were pretty long so it took me a while, but I'm back now.**

 **So there is this chapter. Things happened in this chapter, that's for sure. Texting happens, and Ruby makes a slip-up, you'll see what I mean.**

 **There are no guest reviews this chapter. Most of the people who regularly guest review have gotten their own accounts now, so I don't have to answer them in the next chapter, like I've been doing.**

 **I have more news, but I will save that for the bottom A/n. So with all that out of the way, to the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 19: Rude Awakening

Blake slowly awakens from her slumber with something cool, but soft pressed against her. Before her eyes opened, Blake could tell that she pulled it close to herself, it was in her arms and was slowly breathing against her collarbone. Her eyes opened and she looked down, she immediately saw a head of snow white hair burrowed below her chin. Blake smiled as she remembered what happened last night.

Blake elected to stay at the hospital and keep Weiss company after they admitted to loving each other. The white haired girl wanted Blake to sleep next to her since it would have been uncomfortable sleeping on a barely padded chair for the night.

' _It's crazy how far Weiss has come, in terms of friendliness, in such a short amount of time. From a snobby princess, to a loving and caring friend…And girlfriend.'_ Blake smiled as she looked down and reached up with her right, easier to access, hand and moved some of Weiss' locks behind her ear and out of her face to get a better look at her. The sight made Blake smile wider, for Weiss was smiling in her sleep. So much better than the first time they slept together, when Weiss woke up shaking and scared.

Blake kissed Weiss on the top of her head and Weiss started to shift in Blake's arms. Weiss opened her eyes and saw someone's collarbone and neck in her face. Her eyes opened wider as she had no idea who they belonged to. She reared back and noticed a sea of black now, followed by amber eyes filled with warmth and a smile. Knowing it was Blake, and remembering what happened should have made Weiss smile, but due to the intense throbbing coming from her chest, all she could think about was the pain as her face turned into a painful grimace.

"Urrgh…" Weiss grunted and clenched at her chest as she curled into herself. She flipped onto her back and that seemed to help somewhat as the pained area was no longer pressed on.

"Weiss, are you Ok? What's wrong?" Blake had got on her hands and knees to raise herself up and over Weiss, giving the injured girl more room while also inspecting her. Blake's face was filled with worry as Weiss' was scrunched up in pain while she rubbed at her wounded chest. It clicked to Blake as to what was wrong. _'Her wound must be acting up, maybe the pain medication wore off?'_

"I don't think I should have slept on my side like that…Errgh…It put pressure on the gunshot wound." Weiss spoke up, the pain slowly being alleviated as she rested on her back and massaged the hole in her chest, being careful not to touch it directly and make it worse.

"Should I go get you someone?" Blake asked, still worried. A hand grabbed hers as it squeezed lightly.

"No, I'll be fine. Don't go." Weiss spoke up, her speech more even now that the pain was almost gone. She gave another squeeze of her hand to show Blake she wanted her to be there.

Blake nodded and got off the bed, but didn't let go of her hand as Weiss started to calm down. "I'm sorry for putting you in that position, Weiss. I shouldn't have slept on the one person bed with you. That was stupid." Blake shook her head, thinking she was an idiot for trying it.

Her hand was gripped harder and she looked to Weiss, wondering why. The heiress shook her head. "Blake, I suggested you s-sleep with me. It was my fault, not yours…" Weiss blushed as she stuttered over that word.

The reaction made Blake smile again. She leant down to Weiss and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You're cute when you blush, you know that?" Weiss just blushed deeper and looked away from Blake, embarrassed.

Blake cocked her head to the side with a smile, wondering why Weiss felt so flustered. "All I did was give you a kiss on the cheek, Weiss?"

Weiss looked back to Blake, still blushing. "I…I just don't have a lot of experience with this…Actually…I've **never** …Been in a relationship before…" Weiss muttered, feeling the realization settle in on her that they are, in fact, together now. It made her blush even deeper.

"…Oh!" Blake's eyes widened. "Not even, like a boyfriend?" She was befuddled that Weiss had never been with a person before. She was like the richest and most beautiful person in Remnant! How?

Weiss shook her head slowly. "I've been on setup dates before. My father wanted me to find someone to help expand the SDC. I never liked any of them, though. They were either very snobby and didn't care about me at all, or were just perverted. Sometimes they were both. I turned them all down after the first date. I've never been attracted to men." Weiss glared to the side at the memories. Her father was mostly the target of such ire.

"Yikes. You didn't get a say in any of it?" Blake asked, feeling sorry for what Weiss had to put up with.

Weiss shook her head as she looked back to Blake, with a frown. "My father wanted an heir after me to continue our control of the SDC. What could I do? My father is practically the most powerful person in the world. You can't say no to someone like that, even if you're his kid. I've tried…" Weiss closed her eyes and rubbed her left eye, tracing the scar she received from that dust powered knight.

"Your father attacked you?!" Blake's eyes widened in disbelief, before clenching her fists tightly. _'Yet another reason to hate the Schnee patriarch!'_ Blake thought with disgust.

"No!" Weiss shouted and grabbed both of Blake's hands to calm her down. She then looked away from Blake after her girlfriend focused on her. "Well, not exactly…He had a hand in it, but he neither wanted this to happen, nor did he do it himself." Weiss let go of Blake's hands as she looked away again, tracing her scar to remind Blake what 'this' was.

Blake sat down on the bed, beside the heiress, and grabbed her right hand again, smiling at her. "Do you want to talk about it? I don't really need any more reasons to hate that scumbag, but if you want me to listen, I will." Blake rubbed her thumb over Weiss' knuckles wanting to ease her worries, like Weiss did hers.

Weiss smiled at the cat faunus, happy to have someone who cares. "Thank you Blake, but maybe some other time. Don't we have classes to attend today?"

At being reminded, Blake's eyes widened. She fished out her scroll to check the time. She had to turn it on first, since she turned it off before getting into the bed with Weiss. She noticed she had a message from Ruby.

It was sent last night after they fell asleep, so she didn't know. Looking at the current time first, 7:06 A.M., she realized that they may be late to their first class even if they leave now. They have to get a ride to Beacon after walking there and then get to their dorm to change into their uniforms and then head to class. _'Classes start at 8:30, right?'_ Blake thinks about how much time they have.

Blake opened up the message and read it quickly. It was at 10:15 P.M., minutes after her and Weiss went to bed.

 **Ruby:** Hey just cheking on our ice queen! Is she up yet? Mesage me back when u get the chanse! :p

Blake rolled her eyes at her leader's poor grammar, but looked to Weiss with a smile. "Hey, Ruby wants to know if you're up yet." Blake's smile then turns evil, thinking of teasing her. "Ruby sure does care a lot about you. I don't have to worry about you leaving me, do I, Weiss~?"

It gave her the desired effect, as Weiss blushed scarlet. "Blake!? How could you think such a thing!?"

Blake laughed. "I'm not hearing a 'no~'!"

Weiss stammered out gibberish, too flustered to properly defend herself. Weiss huffed out and crossed her arms as Blake started to laugh harder. "You're the worst!"

Blake calmed down with a small smile towards Weiss. "I'm the best." She cupped her cheek with her right hand and brought her in for a soft kiss that lasted but a few moments.

As Blake pulled back she noticed Weiss still had her eyes closed and her mouth was slightly open, wanting more. "I guess now I don't have to worry about losing you to our caped leader, since this is your reaction to such a tame kiss from me~." Blake continues to mess with Weiss, only slightly.

Weiss musters some courage and tries to tease back. "Maybe you do." She looks away from Blake, angry with her.

Blake gives her a lopsided smile, understanding Weiss isn't serious. She cups her cheek again, to turn her back to face her. "Hey, I'm sorry for the teasing. You're just so cute when you blush, I want to see more." When Weiss blushes again, Blake's smile widens, but it stays a loving one.

Blake leans in for two more light kisses and then pulls back, still stroking her cheek with her hand. Weiss' blush remained, but she was smiling again and it warms Blake's heart to see it from the rarely smiling heiress. "I love you."

Weiss' eyes widened, not expecting to hear that from Blake. Her throat when dry as she got nervous. She may have already said it yesterday, but that didn't make it the easiest thing to do after just one time. She cleared her throat, not wanting to mess it up. "I-I love you, too." Well so much for that plan…Her blush went deeper and she closed her eyes, feeling like an idiot. She opened them again when she heard Blake let out a humorous breath through her nose.

"It's Ok, Weiss. I know it's not an easy thing to say, but I do appreciate you saying it." Blake's smile persisted, showing Weiss that she was not hurt from the minor hiccup.

"Thank you, Blake. For understanding…I just need to get used to it, is all." Weiss looked to Blake, saddened, like she still felt bad. Blake wiped the frown off her face as she pulled Weiss' head down and kissed her forehead. Blake then leaned her own forehead against Weiss' and closed her eyes, still stroking her cheek with her thumb.

"Don't worry about. It's your first relationship, I'm not expecting you to know everything from the start. We'll figure this out. I'm also…Kinda new to it. I've only been in one other relationship." Blake admitted slowly.

"Then how are you so good at it?" Weiss asked, confused as to how Blake new what to do already.

"What do you mean?" Blake pulled back and gave her a quizzical look. "All I've done so far, is kiss you and cheer you up. It felt like the natural thing to do, so I did." Blake shrugged, explaining her actions easily. She laughed as Weiss pouted. Apparently, Weiss thought she was a master at dating.

"We'll figure this out together, Weiss. I'm not going to quit this just because you had a little trouble saying you love me." Blake grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze to reassure her. After Weiss smiled again, Blake got her scroll out again. "I should probably inform Ruby that you're up and I'm going to be a little late to the first class. You should probably stay here, Weiss. You can't just leave, you're still hurt."

Blake looked to Weiss and noticed her frowning and looking down after what she said. "What is it?"

Weiss shook her head. Her hair, loose from its pony tail, moving slightly. "It's nothing. I just…I want to go to class, too." Weiss muttered softly looking to Blake again. She was half-lying, wanting to stay with Blake. The cat faunus caught on to it and smiled.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise. School is still why we're here, though. I need to go." Blake smiled at Weiss, enjoying how she wanted her to stay.

"I'll make sure to get you some great notes so you don't fail the test on Monday." Blake tried to joke, wanting to change Weiss' emotions from sad to anything else, even anger if need be.

It worked. As Weiss got angry and shouted. "I'm not going to fail that test from missing one day!?"

"You're right, what was I thinking." Blake laughed again, as Weiss noticed she was messing with her again. She also noticed that Blake was just trying to cheer her up, and instead of getting madder, Weiss sighed to release the pent up frustration, she realized wasn't necessary, and smiled at her.

Seeing Weiss understood, Blake started to text Ruby.

 **Blake:** Hey, we're up now. Weiss is fine and awake. I'm going to be running late to the first class though.

Shortly after, Ruby replied.

 **Ruby:** Oh crud! Thanks Blake. You woke us up. I was about to b late to! Ill c you when you get here! Its good to here that shes ok.

Before Blake could reply, she got another message.

 **Ruby:** Oh right! Im glad I rembered. Weiss doesnt have to go to class today. I told Ozpin what hapened!

Reading that, Blake smiled.

"Hey, I guess it doesn't matter if you want to go or not. According to Ruby, Ozpin knows that you're hurt and said you don't have classes today."

"What?! What do you mean?" Weiss was freaking out, she didn't want to stay in this room by herself while also missing classes. That was so unfair!

"Ruby talked to Ozpin about how you were put in the hospital, so apparently you don't have school today. It's a good thing, Weiss. It gives you more time to rest up." Blake gripped Weiss' hand again and continued. "Maybe when you're better, we can go on a proper date this weekend?"

Weiss blushed, but nodded her head. Snapping out of her stupor fast, Weiss spoke up. "R-Right! That sounds acceptable. I guess I should get some rest then. Please hurry back after classes though. Yang wasn't kidding at the idea of spending days alone in a place like this, it's terrible to even think about!"

Blake chuckled, but understood. "I agree, I'll be back as soon as I can." She gave Weiss a kiss on the cheek and waved bye. Weiss returned the wave, blushing.

* * *

As Blake started out as a jog through the city of Vale, she then remembered what Ruby first texted this morning, remembering there was something strange about it. Pulling out her phone, she sent a message back to Ruby.

* * *

Ruby was awakened by the sound and vibration of her scroll in her pocket. Snapping her eyes open, she saw that she was in Yang's arms. She almost relented and went right back to sleep, but remembered Weiss' condition yesterday and powered through. Squirming out of Yang's arm, she got up and pulled out her scroll to check the message.

The movement made Yang grumble and notice the lack of coolness that was just pressed up against her. She started to reach out for it again, still half asleep. Grasping at nothing, she cracked an eye open and saw Ruby beside the bed, on her scroll texting away.

"Ruby? What is it?" Yang yawned, as she stretched her arms. That was some of the best sleep she had received since the first night at Beacon. Considering that they slept on a small bed meant for one person, last night, that was impressive.

Ruby looked up and smiled at Yang. "Morning, Yang. I got a text from Blake on Weiss' condition. She's fine now, but Blake will be running late to class today." Ruby looked at the time on her scroll and balked. "I will too if I don't get a move on soon! I still need to put on my uniform and get a shower."

Yang groaned, not liking that Ruby had to leave so soon. "Yeah, you need to go to class…" Yang said in a regretful voice.

Ruby picked up on it after sending the second message as she remembered what Ozpin said yesterday. "What's wrong, Yang?"

Yang put on a sad smile, wanting to seem Ok. "Nothing, I just wanted to spend more time with you, but you do have to go. Don't be late, Ruby. Just make sure to come by later to heal me with Glynda!" Yang really did get happy as she thought of being able to walk on her own again.

Ruby noticed her real smile and smiled back. "Sure thing! I'll be by later! Love you, Yang!" Ruby spoke out, in a hurry, as she rushed to the door. Not even thinking about what she said.

As Ruby was at the open door, Yang called out to her. "I-I love you, too!" The door closed and Yang was in silence again. "I love you too, Ruby…" Yang muttered to herself.

* * *

On her way to the dorms, Ruby got another text from Blake and read it. Her face turned as red as her cloak as she realized what she texted to Blake, after her text woke her and Yang up.

 **Blake:** What did you mean, 'you woke -us- up?'

Quickly texting Blake back, she figured that if she just tells the truth it will sound Ok, so that's what she did.

 **Ruby:** I slept over with Yang in the infrmary last nite. She was geting lonely so I stayed overnite with her.

After a while, Blake texted back when Ruby was running up the stairs to her dorm room.

 **Blake:** Oh, Ok. See you when I make it. I see the airship docks now.

 **Ruby:** Hey, how did last nite go?

Blake sighed as she knew this was coming. Ruby was her leader though, might as well tell her.

 **Blake:** Weiss and I are dating now. I told her how I felt and she loves me too.

 **Ruby:** Im so happy for u to! Thats grate!

 **Ruby:** Ill c u later Blake!

Blake shook her head at her energetic leader, but continued on.

Ruby jumped into the shower quickly and got ready for class as fast as possible. It wasn't too hard, considering her semblance.

* * *

Ruby made it to her first class, with a little time to spare, so she decided to chat with team NPR while they waited for Port to start class, Jaune still in the infirmary like Yang.

"Hey, Ruby! How's it going?" Nora asked, smiling nicely. Not hearing about what happened to Weiss yet.

"Um? Not great…" Ruby mumbled, wondering how to explain this to her friends that they were in a fight and Weiss was almost killed. As if sensing her trepidation, Pyrrha laid a hand on the little leader's shoulder.

"Ruby? What happened? Anything we can help you with?" Pyrrha just wanted to help a friend struggling with something.

Ruby smiled sadly at her scarlet haired friend. "I don't think so. We'll be fine now, but…Me, Blake, and Weiss went out to buy some food for the dorm yesterday, and…Weiss was shot in the chest." At seeing everyone's eyes widen, Ruby put her hands out and waved them, trying to calm her friends down. "Don't worry! She's fine. She woke up and Blake spent the night with her to watch over her. You can ask Blake, yourself when she gets here, she was on her way about 40 minutes ago."

"Who attacked her? Why would they attack Weiss?" Pyrrha asked, they were all worried though.

"I believe they were the ones who have been kidnapping people on the news…" Ruby answered, not knowing how much more she could say to them. Luckily she was saved by Professor Port as he started class, Blake still not there.

"Students, it's time to begin today's class! Unfortunately, Weiss Schnee will not be attending classes today as she is sick. I'm sure her teammates will cover taking notes while she is absent, right Miss Rose?" Port gives her a knowing look, but it was hard to tell since his eyes were always so squinty.

"Y-Yes, sir! You can count on me!" Ruby nodded, sending the look back to show she understood that they were covering up the attack. Apparently Ozpin wanted to keep this endeavor a secret, so Ruby decided to play along until she knew more.

* * *

As class began to go on as normal, 20 minutes in, Blake showed up. She was in uniform, but she was still a bit of a mess as she didn't have time to get fully prepared.

Port this time noticed Blake arrive and called her out on it. "Miss Belladonna, you're late. Were you perchance, tending to a sick Miss Schnee?" Port sent another knowing look to Blake asking her to go along with it.

It caught Blake by surprise that Port could be so smooth at keeping things 'hush-hush'. "Um…Yes sir. She's…feeling better, but still in no condition to come to class. She…Wanted me to attend my classes though…" Blake arced a brow, playing along, but wondering why the secrecy.

"That's good to hear. I hope she makes a full recovery. Take your seat, Miss Belladonna. You're excused this time." Port gestures to Ruby at her own seat and turns back to the class to continue his lecture.

Blake makes her way up to Ruby and immediately asked her leader. "What is going on?"

Knowing what she meant, Ruby explained as best she could in a whisper to not be caught talking. "When I told Ozpin about Weiss, he said he would inform the teachers of her condition. I guess he wants them to keep it a secret?" Ruby shrugged, not understanding any more than Blake.

"But why? Why keep it from the public? Does he just not want to panic everyone?" Blake asks, whispering back, but wanting to understand why everyone needs to be kept in the dark.

"I don't know, but Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren already know. I told them before I knew what was going on with Port. They also want to ask you what happened to Weiss…" Ruby turns to look at the team. All of them were staring at the black and red duo intensely. They heard the whispering since they were just on the other side of Ruby.

"Uh…Hey, guys." Blake awkwardly said to the other team. Seeing that they were expecting her to explain, Blake sighed and continued. "Alright. So, we went into Vale to get some food for the dorm, but Ruby noticed some people in an alley. They were the kidnappers that we have all seen on the news."

"Yeah, Ruby told us that already. We want to know more though. Is Weiss really Ok? How long will she be out, do you think?" Nora asked impatiently, also trying to whisper to keep a low profile in the middle of Port's lecture.

Blake shook her head. "I don't know how long. She should be better before Monday, I'm sure. She is Ok, though. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't sure of that."

Ruby giggled, understanding what Blake meant by that, unlike the others. They looked at her strangely, not expecting Ruby to be giggling at such a dire moment like this. Blake gave her leader an unamused look, knowing what she was laughing about.

Instead of answering the unasked question, Ruby just waved them off, smiling. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't the moment to be laughing, but I'm just so happy for someone." The smile was directed at Blake, but the others didn't notice. Blake returned it with a soft smile of her own.

"Ok…? Well, can we go see her after classes, together? She's a friend to all of us and it would put us at ease to know she's Ok if we saw her." Pyrrha whispered as well, catching on quickly.

"Oh, of course! I think Weiss would be thrilled to see everyone show up for her!" Ruby answered with a quite chirp. Her happiness changed when Blake put up a finger to her lips to signal 'quiet'. She laughed halfheartedly, embarrassed. She then remembered that she wasn't going to make it in time with everyone else, to see Weiss. She had a sister to heal later today.

"Uhm…When we do get out of classes though, I am going with Glynda to see my sister. She should be getting out of her leg cast today, and I want to be there to see it happen. We'll both come by afterwards though. Yang will want to see Weiss too, especially after she can walk again."

"Yang is getting out already? That was fast!" Nora whispered loudly. Amazingly, Port didn't react though, either he didn't hear her, or he just didn't care. Ren covered her mouth with his hand and made a shushing gesture to her.

"Yeah it was, but maybe we should quiet down now?" Ruby said, directing the statement at Nora for being too loud. She didn't want to get in trouble with one of her favorite teachers.

After the rest of their classes, Blake and the majority of team JNPR set out towards Vale to see Weiss in the hospital. Ruby stayed behind with Glynda, as they went over to the infirmary and finish healing Yang.

* * *

The airship ride over was awkward for Blake. She hadn't told team JNPR about her and Weiss yet. She didn't want to say anything since the two haven't spoken about rules or boundaries yet. Greeting Weiss was going to be messy in front of the team. That, she knew.

* * *

It was in the middle of the afternoon now, the sun was high above in the sky, by the time they had made it to the hospital. The group went to ER 1, expecting Weiss to be there, but no one was in there. Getting worried, Blake looked around for staff to question. She found a nurse passing by and got her attention.

"Yes?" The Brunette nurse asked nicely.

"Do you know where the patient went, who was in this ER? I'm her…teammate from Beacon." Blake gestured to ER 1 and hesitated about telling who she really is to Weiss in front of everyone.

"She must have been moved to a standard patient's room. I can check for you, hold on a moment." The nurse looks at her clipboard of names and room numbers to check on. Finding who was recently transferred from the ER. "Weiss Schnee?" She asked as she found a name from earlier today.

"Yes!" Blake nodded her head, excited that she didn't have to look around for Weiss on her own.

"She's on floor two, room B43, West wing." The nurse read it off the chart and looked up to Blake with a smile.

"Thank you!" Blake smiled back and the group turned around to head that way. They didn't stick around a second longer as Blake was getting impatient. So the nurse's acceptance of the thanks fell on deaf ears, as they were too far away.

* * *

They found the room and Blake was the first one to enter. There Weiss was, in bed.

Weiss looked towards the door, from the TV as she was watching it, and saw Blake smiling. She smiled back and waved. "Hey, Blake. I…" Weiss was cut off as she noticed Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren follow Blake in the room after her. She definitely didn't expect that, but was still happy to see friends come to see her when she was hurt. "Oh, I wasn't expecting everyone to come here. Where's Ruby?" Weiss asked Blake as the others took a seat next to Weiss and noticed a lack of red cape.

"She went with Professor Goodwitch to heal Yang. She's getting fully healed today, so Ruby wanted to be there." Blake answered as her hand fidgeted next to Weiss'.

Weiss noticed it and gave Blake a curious stare. Blake looked at the others very fast and then back to Weiss, trying to signal to her. Weiss understood as her eyes widened. She started to cough into her hand, getting flustered as well. "Ahem…Right, well. Ruby is her sister. She can always show up later." Weiss schooled back her composure as best she could, but wasn't completely able to hide her blush, as she had a bit of red on her cheeks.

"Right. Ruby will be showing up later with Yang, when she's healed. These three wanted to see you though, so they tagged along." Blake nodded her head to incomplete team JNPR.

Blake was also somewhat embarrassed, not knowing how to proceed if they were to keep their relationship secret.

Wanting to figure this out, Blake leaned closer to Weiss to whisper to her. Weiss blushed profusely as she thought Blake meant to kiss her in front of their friends. Blake started to whisper before she freaked out though, saving a lot of embarrassment.

"Hey, are we going to keep 'us' a secret from our friends? I don't know about that Weiss. Ruby already knows, and she will probably tell Yang if she hasn't already."

Weiss sighed, not wanting to say it out loud to other people. Blake was right though. They should at least tell their friends, but that didn't mean they needed to tell everyone, yet. Weiss nodded to Blake, signaling that she was Ok.

"Do you want me to tell them?" Blake pointed to herself as she looked at Weiss, confused.

"Of course!" Weiss yelled, flustered by the idea of telling everyone in the room about them. Being there was going to be bad enough.

"Of course, what? What are you two whispering about?" Nora asked in an ominous voice, not liking secrets.

Blake grabbed Weiss' hand and smiled to her, wanting to calm her down. The three others saw the gesture and Pyrrha and Ren started to catch on.

"…Weiss and I started dating…We didn't know if we should tell you yet, since we started last night. We haven't really talked about how public our relationship is, so we didn't know if it was Ok." Blake explained, mostly without embarrassment. Blake was a little pink in the cheeks as she admitted their relationship. Weiss was much worse.

"Oh! Well, congratulations! You two make an excellent couple!" Pyrrha said excitedly. She may have had another motive for wanting Weiss to be taken already, but that was beside the point!

"Yeah! What she said! Right, Renny?" Nora booped Ren on the nose as she called out to him. He just nodded with a smile, it said all that needed to be said by the quiet man

"Thank you. It helps knowing that we have friends that won't judge us that way. You're good friends." Blake thanked them all. Hearing Blake talk like that, reminded Weiss of Blake's other secret she hasn't told them yet. She was debating if now would be an appropriate time to tell her, but decided against it. Their friends had already been told one secret today, no need to overload them. However…

"We would also appreciate it if you could not tell anyone, please. We don't want everyone knowing right now. So please keep it our secret." Weiss practically begged them, not wanting her father to hear about her before she had a way to tell him herself.

"What about Jaune, and the rest of your team? Do they know?" Pyrrha asked, wanting to know just who specifically they needed to keep this away from.

"That's fine. Ruby already knows, and I'm sure she is telling Yang if she hasn't already. Jaune is fine with me…" Blake looked to Weiss to check with her. As Weiss relented, Blake continued. "That should be it, though. Anyone else, we should be the ones to tell. So if you don't know if someone already knows, just don't say anything to them, please." Blake answered, wanting to be clear.

"Ok, we understand. So what made you two decide to get together? Pyrrha asked, wanting to hear it all.

Seeing as Weiss looked away, blushing, Blake decided to answer. "Um…I didn't really know how I felt for Weiss for a few days, but after she got hurt it scared me to my very core. I knew I didn't want to lose her…I love her." Blake smiled at Weiss, who looked up at her as she confessed. Weiss saw the smile and smiled back. Happy that Blake can admit it so openly. Realizing she should return the favor, Weiss tried to return it in kind.

"Blake, I-…" She was stopped as Blake shook her head after grabbing her hand and smiling at her warmly.

"You don't have to, Weiss. I know." Blake spoke softly to her, wanting to make sure she understood.

Weiss nodded shakily to Blake, smiling that her girlfriend was Ok with her taking her time with it. Weiss knew she loved Blake, but growing up in that family made it hard to talk about emotions. Weiss knew she could talk to Blake and her friends, but she was suppressing it for so long that it was just how she was now. It would just take time to break out of it, and she was sure that Blake would help her.

* * *

They continued to talk after that. Nora promising to get revenge on the people who hurt Weiss. They of course didn't give her a description, in fear that Nora would go around beating up people indiscriminately, but they appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

Eventually a knock was at the door and Blake went to go answer it. She opened the door and saw Yang and Ruby standing there with a smile.

"Hey, partner! I've got my legs back!"

* * *

Ruby and Glynda had healed Yang's leg no problem after already healing the rest of her. Due to Ruby's connection with Yang and Glynda's experience, they made quick work of the limb. After Glynda finished healing the leg completely, she stepped back and allowed Yang to test it out.

That was a mistake, as Yang got up and stomped her left leg on the ground to shatter the cast entirely. Her leg was thankfully fine, though.

After a bit of scolding from Ruby and of course the headmistress of Beacon, Yang understood that that was a little brash after just getting healed. She didn't regret it though, as it allowed her to walk over to Ruby on the other side of the bed and pick her up in a bear hug and twirl her around, so happy to be able to move again. All thanks to her little sister. "Thank you, Ruby!"

Ruby of course, hugged back as much as she could, almost as strong as Yang. Ruby might have been even stronger than Yang without her semblance. "You're very, very welcome!"

"Ahem…" Glynda interrupted them after their 8th spin around, wanting to get a move on with her day.

"Oh, right! Thanks, Professor! For everything! I can't thank you enough!" Yang finally set Ruby down, but didn't let her out of her arms.

"That's quite alright, Miss Xiao Long. I simply did it to help Miss Rose with her mission." Glynda shook her head, not needing any thanks for simply performing a task that was necessary.

"Right, her mission to take down the baddest of the bad vampires, am I right?" Yang gave Ruby a nervous look, not liking the idea of her baby sis fighting an experienced vampire who apparently killed their mother.

"Yang, your sister won't be alone in this endeavor. She will have help from the Council, as well as her team. We are all trying to help her as much as we can. Cinder will come for her whether you want her to or not. So we might as well, help her fight back." Glynda explained, trying to make Yang see reason before she disagrees with Ozpin's plan.

"Oh, I know. I'm just not going to let that bitch anywhere near her. I'll be there Ruby. You can count on it!" Yang smirked at her little sister, making her a promise she has absolutely no intention on breaking.

"Yang…" Ruby started to tear up and hugged her again.

"Adorable." Glynda called out as they lost themselves in the hug. It made Ruby snap up and let go.

"Sh-Shut-up! We were just hugging!" Ruby stuttered out, flustered.

Yang smiled warmly at her cute little sister, then looked to Glynda who had a knowing look pointed right at her. Yang looked away when their eyes met, not able to bear it.

"Alright, I think that's enough teasing for one day. Ruby you and Yang should go now. Make sure to do your homework over the weekend and help Yang get caught up with hers." Glynda said as they all left the infirmary.

Splitting up with Glynda, Yang and Ruby got on an airship headed to Vale to see their teammates.

* * *

Yang and Ruby smiled at Blake who answered the door at the hospital. "Hey, partner! I've got my legs back!" Yang jumped in the air to show Blake that her legs are in perfect condition now. Ruby slapped her in the arm though, not liking how her sister is already trying to strain herself.

"Stop, Yang! You just started to walk again! First you wanted to sprint here from the airship, now you're jumping up and down. Can't you just relax for one day and take it easy?" Ruby pouted, tired of her sister not listening to her.

"Oh, come on Ruby! I'm fine! I'm one hundred percent again. You know what that means, right?" Yang had a toothy grin on her face, excited about it the most.

Ruby just face-palmed, knowing what she was going to say, without her having to ask.

"I finally get to train again! You promised, Ruby! Don't forget it!" Yang pointed at her sister, daring her to take it back.

"I know, I know! Let's just go say hi to Weiss already…" Ruby grumbled, annoyed that her sister was already pushing herself immediately after getting healed. It's the one thing she loves and hates about Yang. She has unlimited tenacity. Maybe a few 'other' things though…Two other things…

Ruby blushed as she sat down next to Blake, as Yang elected to stand the entire day, now that she could walk again.

"Hey, Ruby. Hey, Yang. I'm glad you're better, Yang. But now _I'm_ down for the count." Weiss spoke as she smiled.

"Count yourself lucky you won't be out for a week though. With aura, it shouldn't be too long before they give you the Ok." Yang smiled back. "I was worried about you though when I heard what happened. I'm glad you're Ok too, Weiss." Yang then looked to Blake with a smirk. "You're not going to claw my eyes for saying that to your girlfriend are you?" Yang laughed as Blake and Weiss lit up in a blush.

Blake then glared to Ruby, knowing how she found out. She relented quickly though. They had already counted on Ruby to tell Yang, so no harm was done. "Great, now we get to hear Yang jabber on. Thanks, Ruby." She said sarcastically.

"She's my sister! How was I supposed to keep that from her? You didn't say I couldn't tell her anyways, so what's the harm?" Ruby then noticed other people were in the room that she had no way of knowing if they already knew or not. Her eyes widened and then glared at Yang for potentially ruining things between Blake and Weiss. "Yang!? Look around before you say stuff like that!"

"Oh! Did they not already know?! I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to blurt it out! I thought they knew!" Yang got worried too, seeing that most of JNPR was there.

"No, no! It's fine. We knew about them already, they just informed us. You really should be more careful though, Yang. That could have been bad." Pyrrha lightly scolded.

"You're right. Sorry again." Yang grabbed her hair and moved it over her shoulder to brush it with her hands, nervous.

Weiss huffed out, irritated that she has a loud mouthed teammate. She eventually relented though, as Blake looked at her. "Fine…It's Ok, Yang. Just don't do something like that again!"

"Aye, aye, captain!" Yang gave a mocking solute with a smile, happy she was forgiven for her blunder.

"So, Weiss…Mind if I borrow your girlfriend tomorrow to spar with her? I really want to get back into high gear, and I think fighting the one who beat, 'The Invincible Girl' would definitely help me!" Yang asked with a smirk towards Blake, remembering the first day of sparring class from Ruby. Pyrrha blushed at the praise, even though she lost.

"What?! I…" Weiss looked to Blake, wondering if that was Ok to be bossing her around like that. Yang said 'borrow' like she was in control of Blake. It sounded very wrong though. Like something her father might do. She shook her head and shivered at the thought.

Seeing her inner struggle, Blake just shrugged and smiled. "That's fine with me…Weiss?"

"Uh…Ok." Weiss relaxed as she noticed Blake had no problem with it. "It is partner day tomorrow, after all. I guess me and Ruby get to spend some time together, huh?" Weiss smiled at Ruby, and then remembered that she would be stuck there with a hyper Ruby all day.

Inside, Weiss was screaming for help at the idea. She managed to give a broken smile to Ruby though, and the red head didn't see through it. "Weiss! We're gonna have so much fun! We could play board games, or cards, or card board games! Eeeeeh! It will be so much fun!" Ruby squeeled in happiness, excited for tomorrow. Weiss sagged in defeat as she saw what she would be stuck with tomorrow.

Yang walked over to Ruby and got behind her. She put her hands on each of her sister's shoulders to keep her in place. "Ok, Rubes. That's enough. Don't have a heart attack!" Ruby gave Yang a pointed glare at the bad pun.

Yang ignored it and gave Ruby a pat on her shoulder and bobbed her head towards the other team and then Blake and Weiss. Yang then leaned in to whisper to Ruby, as she didn't understand. "Ruby, don't you have something to tell our team? We **might** not want to get JNPR involved with it."

Ruby looked up to her sister as it sank in. "Oh, yeah!" She looked to Pyrrha and the others from team JNPR. "Hey, I'm sorry to ask this of you, but could you give us some…personal team time? We need to discuss some things." Ruby scuffed her boot against the floor, feeling kind of bad about kicking them out.

"What kind of things?! Cool things?! What are you keeping from me?!" Nora got excited, like she always does. She was stopped however, by Pyrrha as she got up and smiled at Ruby.

"Of course. We should get going anyways. Might as well get started on our homework early to have the rest of the weekend off, right?" Pyrrha walked to the door, Ren, dragging Nora with him, following Pyrrha. "Have a good night!" The Amazon said as she closed the door behind her teammates and they left.

"Ruby? What is it?" Weiss asked, curious as to what she needed to tell them.

"Well…."

* * *

 **Ruby's going to tell them! Oh shit! Cliffhangers, I know. I think there is no finer place to stop a chapter than on a cliffhanger, so keep that in mind! We got to see most of JNPR again, so that's nice. Pyrrha's being very sneaky with her crush on her leader. And they know about Weiss and Blake now.** **Weiss and Blake are about to be in the know about something else though. That will be fun.**

 **As for the extra news, I'm going to be working on the continuation of my black rose story! As I said before, The Panther Sinks Her Claws is over, but there is still more story to tell. So the new story will be segments of their lives that occurred during the 7 year time skip in the original story. The first chapter will be a memorable Christmas with a young Catherine and Jet. Jet is 2, Cat is 3 years old. So look forward to that. I know people have been asking for it, so I will give it to you. It should be done before Christmas. Happy Holidays! Peace!**


	20. The Truth Hurts

**I'm back! It's been a while, I know, but a lot has happened to me recently. Firstly, Holidays. I'm sure that most understand that this time of year is a time to relax and spend time with family, and that is what I did. Next, I recently got a new job and the hours are infrequent, meaning I may have several days off to write and I may have none for several weeks. I was told that Summer time is extremely busy for the job I work, so that will be a bummer for writing.**

 **Lastly, 2 days ago I was writing this exact chapter and I got a review for The Panther Sinks Her Claws. I took a break from writing to read it and it was a warning about terms violations on this site. Apparently replying to guest reviews is a violation of the terms. So I will stop replying to them every chapter in the A/ns. I will still read them! I just can't directly reply to the guest reviewers. Instead, I will just thank them simply every time someone gives a guest review. The point was that it seriously bummed me out and I didn't feel like writing anymore for the day, or the next. But I decided to do it anyways.**

 **If you haven't noticed, I removed all of the guest review replies from this story in previous chapters. And there also won't be a lemon in this story as that is also a violation. It's dumb, but there is nothing I can do about it. However, the other stories of mine are remaining the same as they are finished already.**

 **If you want to know more, just PM me.**

* * *

Chapter 20: The Truth Hurts

"Well…" Ruby poked her pointer fingers together, blushing. She didn't know how to start this conversation. She had never had to tell someone about herself being a vampire before. _'Maybe I should have thought about how to say this…?'_

"Come on, Ruby. They need to know." Yang whispered to Ruby, still behind her. She massaged Ruby's shoulders to try and get her to relax, but it seemed to make her tense up instead. Yang thought it was weird at first, but Ruby then released a breath and relaxed like she wanted.

With her sister behind her providing support, Ruby was able to continue. "Ok. This is most likely going to sound very strange and made-up, but…" Ruby looked from Weiss to Blake, and then back to Weiss, worried about how she was going to be perceived by them. "I'm a vampire…"

Silence filled the room as Blake arced an eyebrow, as did Weiss. Weiss' eyebrow however, had a partner that felt equally astonished. Weiss' eyes went wide as she realized Ruby wasn't joking.

 _She's…? Father was…telling the truth?'_ Weiss' heart stopped, staring at Ruby. "You're serious?" Weiss asked slowly, scared to know the answer. She had to make sure though, this news was very troubling indeed.

"Y-Yes. I'm serious. It's complicated, but I had to tell you to now. You see…I'm in trouble. Those people that were in the alley, they were some of the people I'm in trouble with. I don't think they were after me though, because we found them. Not the other way around." Ruby started to explain her circumstances, words spilling out like a waterfall, as she was stopped by Blake.

"Wait a minute. The people in the alley? You knew them? Ruby, how could you not tell us this? Forget about whatever you are, you caused Weiss to be hospitalized by not saying anything! If we were in danger and you knew about it, you should have told us sooner! You can't just-…!" Blake cut herself off, looking down at her feet as she was sitting next to Weiss on the bed. _'I…I was no better…I did the same thing, didn't I…?'_

Before Blake could start to make up for what she said, Ruby started to speak again. "No, Blake! That's not how it was! They weren't after me at the time! We just ran into each other, I think. That's all it was, a coincidence!" Ruby grabbed her left arm and rubbed it, feeling bad about her decisions. She then looked back to Weiss who seemed to not pay attention to the conversation, still processing the first part. She looked deeply worried.

"Weiss, I'm sorry for getting you both involved, but that's why I wanted to say this now. Next time we might not be so lucky. If we are caught unaware again, well…" Ruby, with tears in her eyes, gestures to Weiss who was shot.

Weiss closes her eyes, shaking her head. She glances back to Ruby, worried. "You really exist…" Weiss breathed out as she was coming to understand the situation.

"I…I do. Weiss, are you Ok?" Ruby reached out to her partner, but Weiss flinched away from her.

"Stop! Not a step closer!" Weiss shouted uncharacteristically scared.

Realizing this, Blake grabbed her hand and looked at her, also worried. "Weiss? What's wrong?"

Weiss ignored her girlfriend though, staring at Ruby. "What are you doing here?! Come to take me next? Is that it?!"

"Weiss? What are you talking about? You should stay here and rest. I don't want to move you?" Ruby was taken aback by the strange reaction. She definitely didn't expect this.

"Like you took my mother?! Father was right, you really do exist! Stay away from me!" Weiss backed away from Ruby into the corner of the bed, near Blake, instinctually. Hot tears in her eyes as she was glaring at Ruby for taking her mother away. _'Father wasn't crazy! Did she plan this for this to happen to me?!'_ Weiss' eyes were darting around the room, looking for anything that could help her. An exit, something to keep Ruby away, anything.

Blake grabbed Weiss' shoulders and forced her to look at her. "Weiss! What's going on? You're not making any sense!"

"Ask the monster! She…She…" Weiss was crying hysterically as her heart was pumping a million times a minute. The EKG machine could be heard through Weiss' panic, beeping at a constant rate. Everyone was staring wide-eyed at the heiress having a serious panic attack.

The door to the room burst open and two nurses came rushing in with a cart holding various medical instruments.

"Move! Clear out!" The nurses shouted to the three others in the room. One of the nurses stepped in front of Ruby and pushed her gently on the shoulders nudging her out of the way. "If you don't want to leave, at least make room!"

Ruby and Yang slowly stepped back towards the door, following their orders. Blake had to be pulled back though, as she didn't want to leave Weiss' side.

None of them knew what happened. It was so strange seeing Weiss break down. Weiss was hyperventilating and spasming in the bed, her fists clenched tightly.

One of the nurses restrained Weiss while the other took a syringe and injected the held down arm with it. Weiss immediately stopped struggling and was overtaken by the drugs, falling unconscious.

* * *

"What the hell happened?" Blake muttered and slowly looked to Ruby and Yang, thinking they knew more. They looked just as clueless as her though. Ruby was crying and Yang wrapped her arms around her from behind again, consoling her.

Seeing as Blake was closest and the only one that didn't need to be consoled or currently consoling someone, a nurse came up to her. "Do you know what caused this reaction? Did she have an allergic reaction or did something upset her?" The nurse was scrolling down the clipboard he picked up from the foot of the bed to examine it for anything abnormal while he waited for her response.

"I…I don't…" Blake was too worried to form complete sentences. Seeing Weiss like that was shocking to say the least.

Blake looked to Ruby and Yang again, wanting some answers as well. She saw Ruby turned around in Yang's arms, still crying for Weiss. Yang on the other hand, was looking right at Blake, shaking her head, no, telling her to keep quiet. It wasn't threatening, more of a pleading look. _'She better explain this soon…'_ Blake thought as she turned back to the nurse. "No I don't know what caused, sir. Sorry."

"That's alright. This seems to be an isolated incident for now. She should be fine. You can stay here and visit her if you want, but she's going to be out for another hour or so. Come tell someone if her status changes, we'll be monitoring her more carefully for now, but just to be safe." The male nurse instructs as the other rolls the cart out of the room, the former nurse following after.

"Th-Thank you." Blake says simply, at a loss for words in the moment. The nurse turns around at the door with a sad smile and nods before continuing on. The door closed and Blake looked back to Ruby and Yang, angry.

"Care to explain, Ruby? Why was Weiss so scared of you?"

Ruby was still crying and shaking in Yang's arms, but she managed to speak through it, her face still in Yang's chest. "I…I-I don't know, Blake! This wasn't the r-reaction I expected."

"Look, Weiss was talking about her father being 'right' and how **Ruby** took her mother. None of it made sense, Ok? Weiss just couldn't handle the realization, that's all. Maybe she can explain better when she wakes up, but for now. I suggest we clear the air." Yang interrupted the interrogation on her sister.

"And how do you suppose we do that, Yang? Enjoy a game of 20 questions? Weiss just had a panic attack and Ruby is apparently a vampire, whatever that means!" Blake glared at the both of them.

"Actually, yes! That's a great idea, Blake. You don't know anything about Ruby, so go ahead and ask her about it. It's why we brought this up in the first place." Yang said as she gave Ruby a nudge out of her arms to turn around. "Come on, Ruby. She needs to understand." Yang whispers to her sister.

Drying her tears, Ruby nods shakily, mumbling in agreeance. "Mmh…" Ruby looks back to Blake sadly, feeling so much remorse for reducing Weiss to that state.

"Wh-What do you want to know first?" Ruby starts, as she collects herself.

"I still want to know why Weiss thought you were going to take her, Ruby. She seemed pretty terrified of you and I want to know why!" Blake insisted as she raised her voice.

Yang was about to yell right back, but was stopped as Ruby turned back around to her sister and shook her head. "It's Ok, Yang. Let me handle this." Ruby pleaded with Yang, not wanting her friend and sister to start a fight.

Turning back to Blake after Yang conceded, Ruby began to explain what she thought might be the cause. "Weiss said that I 'took' her mother…I think…I think that her mother was…Killed by a vampire." Ruby was reminded of her own mother and was wracked with grief in the moment. Seeing Ruby shiver, Yang reached out and grabbed her shoulder, comforting her. Showing Ruby that she wasn't alone.

"You're saying she just assumed you did it and are now after her? Weiss is more rational than that! She wouldn't just jump to conclusions like that, Ruby!" Blake shook her head at the ludicrous idea.

"It's true that Weiss would ordinarily think more clearly about the situation, you're not wrong. But there is something that we clearly don't know about her. And I'm willing to bet that she has more secrets. What I'm trying to say is that Weiss has probably gone through a lot and couldn't handle it being brought up again." Ruby looked over to the unconscious heiress in the bed, sad for what she must have gone through.

It made sense, Blake had to agree. Something happened to Weiss that they didn't know about. Of course something did, they hadn't known Weiss very long. She was bound to have some secrets just like the rest of them. Blake looks to Weiss, worried for what she's been through. "I guess we can ask her about it when she wakes…" Blake then looks over to Ruby with a sad smile. "That is, if she doesn't try to stab you with Myrtenaster first."

Seeing that Blake isn't in such a piss-poor mood anymore, Ruby decides to joke back. "As long as she doesn't chop off my head, I think I'll be mostly Ok." Instead of laughing though, Blake gives her a puzzled look at the comment.

"Oh, right! Ruby's kinda really, really, hard to kill. Vampire, remember?" Yang brings up with a finger in the air and a smile on her face, happy that the situation is more or less, diffused. At least until the Ice Queen wakes up.

The statement from the blonde just make her more confused as nothing has actually been explained yet. Giving out a huff from her sister's non-existent help, Ruby steps over to a seat and takes it. "Ok, so like in the stories, vampires are really hard to put down." Ruby begins to explain, but seeing that Ruby is bringing it up, Blake can't help but start to ask questions.

"So, what? Crosses and garlic? A stake to the heart? That kind of thing?" Blake snarks, not totally buying it all, yet.

"Plain crosses or garlic? No. Depending on what it's made of though, a stake could potentially kill us." Ruby corrected easily.

"So like a blessed stake, you mean?" Blake asked, finding herself a little interested.

"Something that is blessed has an intense burn when it comes into contact with a vampire, and if the stake was silver, the wound that it inflicted would never heal, potentially killing the vampire." Ruby informs Blake, only knowing of these things to be real after talking to Ozpin about it.

"Or so I've heard. I have neither of these weaknesses, so I always assumed that they were just a myth, until Ozpin corrected me, since they didn't hurt me like the books and movies said. The vampire clan that I was sired into has an immunity to these things. I don't know why, so don't ask. I don't think Ozpin knows why either. I didn't get the impression that he did when he told me about it." Ruby shakes her head, showing that she doesn't know about it.

"Really? Wait!? Ozpin?! Why would he know about this?!" Blake suddenly had so many questions to ask the little red head, she couldn't decide which one she wanted to be answered first.

"Ok, Ok! I get it. That was a very big bomb to drop on you that Ozpin is involved. It's true though, Ozpin is involved, very involved. He's the leader of the Council. A group of very powerful and long living vampires that protect our secret from the world. Which reminds me…" Ruby then remembers what Ozpin told her, should they not take this well.

Ruby gives a very serious look to Blake. One that the faunus had never seen from the eternally bubbly girl she called leader. "…Blake, I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone else about me. No one can know! This is life and death importance here! The Council will not tolerate someone telling people about our existence."

"Ruby? What do you mean…?" Blake asks, not understanding. She then realizes how this has been kept in the dark so long. "Oh, Oum…How can they do that? That's unbelievable!"

"You have to understand, Blake! Our secret can't get out! Just like with Weiss, we would be ridiculed as monsters…" Ruby said, sadly. Wishing it were not true.

The statement struck Blake. _'Monsters…That's dangerous, Ruby. You know about my heritage, and comparing us is not a very smart move...'_ Blake thought with a glare directed at her leader. The glare had no effect however, as Ruby was staring at Weiss. Remembering that her partner called her a monster.

Letting out a puff of hot air, Blake sighed, relenting. "Fine, Ruby. I won't say anything. But only because you promised to keep my secret as well!" Blake pointed at Ruby, wanting to remind Ruby to keep her promise not to tell anyone about her being a faunus.

"What secret, Blakey?" Yang jumped in, wrapping an arm around Ruby in a side hug, seeing as the tension was mostly clear now.

Inside, Blake shrieked that she forgot about Yang, but she held her composure and came up with an easy lie. "I was just talking about me and Weiss' relationship. The same promise goes for you too, Yang!"

"Oh, right. That thing. I was hoping for more gossip. I suppose my sister telling people she's a vampire will just have to do. "Yang says sarcastically, as she rubs Ruby's head, messing with her.

"There is that…" Blake says, agreeing with Yang that the development is interesting. She then remembers Ruby saying she is part of a clan of vampires, wondering how Yang comes into play. "So if you are in a vampire clan, is Yang also a vampire?"

Yang laughs at the insinuation. "Nope! Just bad ass!" Yang slams her fists together in a demonstration.

Wanting to explain it so Blake could understand, Ruby continues for her sister. "I was sired by our mother. 'Turned', if you want to call it that. She's not my biological mother, neither is she Yang's actually. She was just a really good person and took me in after helping Yang's father raise her as a family. She went to Beacon with our father and Yang's mother." Ruby smiled at the memories, able to remember the good ones instead of dwelling on the last time she saw her mother. "Her name was Summer Rose."

"Was?" Blake was struck by the past tense, thinking the worst. The thought was proved correct when Ruby froze at the word and clenched her eyes shut, pushing the tears back. Yang hugged her sister tighter, pulling Ruby into a full hug.

"Summer was killed by the same person who is now after Ruby. A vampire named Cinder. Ozpin said he would help us against her when she comes after us. That's why we're here, for safety. Cinder is extremely dangerous, even for a vampire." Yang answers as she rubs circles in her sister's back.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother…" Blake mutters as it was the only thing that sounded right to say. Yang and Ruby nodded, not wanting to talk about it.

' _It seems like we're all running from something…But what is Weiss running from?'_ Blake thinks as she looks to the heiress in bed, still asleep from the medicine she was given. She then looks back to Yang and Ruby, worried. "Guys, what are we going to do when Weiss wakes up? She will probably be in the same mindset from before she was knocked out…Scared of Ruby, I mean."

"Well, she needs to get over it! Ruby did nothing wrong to her!" Yang takes offence of the accusation that her little sister is scary. _'How can you find someone so adorable, scary?'_ Yang thinks with a blush on her face.

Before anyone else could say their peace on the matter, Weiss groaned and shifted in the bed.

"Well, I guess it's too late to plan this…" Blake whispers as to not upset Weiss awakening.

* * *

Opening her eyes, Weiss sees another face cloaked in black like the first time she wound up in this room. "Blake…" Weiss whispered happily, a smile on her face.

Being snapped out of her worry by the smile on her girlfriend's face, Blake sat back down next to Weiss and took her hand. "Hey, sleepy. Are you feeling better?" Blake was really hoping for a positive answer.

"I don't know…I'm a little light headed? What happened?" Weiss asked, slowly. Not remembering the last 15 minutes or so, yet.

"You kinda flipped out on us! The staff had to sedate you." Yang answered in her normal, loud tone. Getting a scowl from the still secret faunus, Yang continued. "Er…Are you Ok, Weiss?"

"Yang? What are you doing here…? I thought you were…? Oh, right. Rub-…!" Everything came back to Weiss in an instant and she raised up from her bed, ready. Weiss' eyes darted around before they laid on the figure looking at her from Yang's arms. Weiss then noticed the hand on hers as it gripped tighter. She looked over to it and saw it was Blake's.

"Calm down, Weiss! You're Ok! Take deep breaths." Blake instructed as their eyes met, not wanting the heiress to experience another episode.

"Blake, I'm not Ok! Sh-She…She!" Weiss pointed to Ruby as she glared at her, but could think of nothing else to say. Weiss shook in rage and pain, as she remembered what happened to her mother. The blood, her father yelling and cursing and crying, her being pulled away from the scene by Winter, who was also crying.

Suddenly, Weiss was engulfed by someone. She expected it to be Blake, since she was right beside her, but it wasn't. The red cloak gave it away.

"Weiss! P-Please stop! Stop c-crying. I don't know what happened to you, but I'm here for y-you, we all are! Let us help you, please!?" Ruby pleaded with her partner as she hugged her.

Weiss was terrified again. _'She's going to kill me, isn't she? This is it…'_ Weiss waited for the lethal strike from the one that killed her mother, but nothing happened. Weiss felt wetness on the shoulder that the monster was laying her head on, yet she felt no pain. _'It's not my blood…Tears? She's crying…Crying?'_ Weiss felt her own tears dripping down her face as she caught herself crying as well.

Weiss then remembered who this was before the reveal. It wasn't a demon, or monster. 'It' was a she, and she was a friendly, bubbly, energetic airhead, and her partner. This wasn't the person who killed her mother, this was her friend. Someone who was crying because she was crying. She knew who this was. "Ruby…" Weiss accepted the hug and held tighter to her friend as they cried together. The others in the room smiling at the peace that was established.

* * *

 **Yep, Weiss' mom was also killed by a vampire.**

 **Until next chapter.**


	21. Girl Who Cried Wolfy

**Next chapter! For those that have been replying to me about the Panther story situation, I know of AO3 and other sites, I just don't want to cross post or switch sites. I like FF. If that means taking down the lemons, I'm sorry, but that's what has to happen I guess. The Panther Sinks Her Claws no longer has the lemon in chapter 3 and the guest review replies have been removed just like in this story. A story without a lemon is better than no story at all.**

 **Anyways, this chapter was incredibly long compared to well, most. This will be the longest chapter of Rose Bush to date. And it's because last weeks chapter was so short since I didn't feel like writing. I had to throw everything into this chapter as there were not any good places to cut off. xD**

 **So here it is! The Girl Who Cried Wolfy. Awesome title, if I do say so myself. :p**

* * *

Chapter 21: The Girl Who Cried Wolfy

"Weiss? Are you Ok?" Ruby said with her chin on the heiress' shoulder as she was still hugging her.

Weiss' response was a whimper followed by her gripping tighter on Ruby.

"Weiss…What happened? Talk to us, please? We just want to help." Blake put her hand on Weiss' other shoulder and rubbed it with her thumb, comforting her.

Weiss took a moment before she started to speak, not knowing if she wanted to reveal the worst moment of her life. It wasn't exactly an easy conversation to have, but she knew she could count on Blake. So far, she was there to make her feel better about her past when she needed. The moment she shared her past about her assassinated cousin with Blake rang out in her mind and Weiss knew Blake would be there again. "My father…When my mother was killed…He-He was there."

Weiss wiped her tears away as she stopped, her vision getting blurry. "He saw the person responsible. When the guards arrived to help, there was no one in the room, but an open window and my father who was holding my mother…I heard the shouting, as did my sister, Winter. I was only 11 at the time and Winter was 16. We were curious of the noise, so we went to see what was going on and…"

Weiss breath hitched as she remembered the scene again. She kept her clenching grip on Ruby, afraid to let go. "Th-There was blood everywhere." Ruby twitched at the word, but did nothing, keeping her hunger under control. "My sister had to pull me back to not see what happened, but it was too late. I saw what this person, this monster, was capable of…They ripped my mother's throat out!"

Weiss shook at the grizzly sight that night, tears streaming down her face. Blake joined in on the hug, taking Weiss' right side, wanting to comfort her. "I'll never forget my father's words…The ones he used to describe the person he saw. He was cursing them out, even in Atlesian, through tears. He called them a vampire, then 'Schatten', I-It means shadow. Everyone thought he was crazy. Just stricken with grief…"

Weiss pulled back from Blake and Ruby and looked at her leader, pleading. "But he wasn't crazy, was he? My mother really was killed b-by a vampire?" Weiss hiccupped, barely holding herself together.

Ruby just pulled Weiss into her arms again, feeling terrible for what her partner has been through. "I'm so sorry, Weiss!"

"Weiss…I-I didn't mean for this. Maybe you weren't ready to share that and I-…" Blake was trying to apologize to her girlfriend, but was interrupted by the same person. Weiss pulled Blake into a hug as she let go of Ruby. Blake accepted it, but she was shocked that Weiss would be hugging her for making her share something so dark in her life. "Weiss?"

"Thank you…You were right, I think it helped. I feel like crap right now, but…I think I'll be better. I needed this so, thank you." Weiss whispered into Blake's shoulder, hugging tightly.

Blake smiled into the hug, Weiss joining her as she closed her eyes, savoring the moment. Ruby smiled at the pair, happy that it seems to have worked out. She then felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to her sister who was smiling at her.

Yang nodded to Weiss and Blake and then jabbed a thumb towards the door, signaling. Yang then looked to the monochrome pair again. "Hey, me and Ruby are going to go get some food from Vale. Be back later!" Yang grabbed Ruby's hand and rushed out the door to Weiss' room and down the hall.

* * *

Pulling her arm free, Ruby gave Yang a curious look. "What was that?"

"What? I was just giving them some privacy, they could use it after that situation."

"Ooh…" Ruby voiced, dumbly.

"Yeah, and besides, we really could use some food. I could at least. I haven't eaten all day! The only thing edible is the jello from the infirmary. What about you? How are you doing on…You know?" Yang asked Ruby, pointing to her mouth and neck.

Ruby gave Yang another confused look, not understanding. "What...? Oh! Right! I-I'm fine, Yang! Really!" She blushes as she catches onto what Yang was getting at.

"Are you sure, because you healed me today, and that depletes your reserves, doesn't it? I already told you, Ruby…I don't mind." Yang held her hands behind her back and looked away from Ruby, trying to appear nonchalant and hide her blush from her sister.

Ruby's mouth went dry, thinking about Yang's freely offered blood. "I-If that's really Ok. Maybe a little?" Ruby spoke in a quiet tone, embarrassed.

"Sweet! Let's go!" Yang took Ruby's hand again and charged ahead, looking for somewhere secluded. She spotted a green stairs sign down the hall and ran faster towards it.

"Yang! Slow down! I can run on my own!" Ruby yelled, not really too upset considering she was smiling the whole way.

Yang threw the door open and continued up the steps until she was sure no one was around to see them. "Ok. Here should be good." Yang said, giving a breathless laugh.

"Yang, what's gotten into you? You're acting…different?" Ruby asked slowly, worried about her sister.

"I just…Want to make sure my sis is getting the right nutrition!" Yang laughed nervously, hoping Ruby bought it.

As Ruby looked down and smiled, Yang knew she did. "Thanks, Yang."

"Of course, Rubes." Yang said sweetly, as she took off her scarf from around her neck, giving Ruby easier access to her neck.

It was the same scarf that Ruby used to tie around Yang's chest to stop her bleeding when she fell. The staff at the school infirmary must have kept it with Yang's other belongings for when she was released. Ruby just noticed it now, but there was a dark blood stain in the center of it that seemed permanent.

The blood reminded Ruby of what happened right before she started to look over Yang's injuries that day. The people she killed… "I…I don't feel like it anymore…" Ruby shook her head, disgusted with herself.

"What? What's wrong, Ruby?" Yang looked down at her hand and the scarf within it, as that was what Ruby was looking at.

Ruby looked away as Yang held up the piece of fabric in front of herself. The fledgling crossed her arms, holding herself as she blamed the one that wasn't fast enough to save her sister from falling. Yang's voice cut in through her self-demeaning. "Ruby…Do you know why I still wear this, even though it's blood stained and all ripped up?"

Ruby's only response was to sniffle and continue to sulk. She managed to shake her head, giving Yang that much.

The brawler smiled sadly at the scarf as she continued to stare at it. "I still wear it, because it's a reminder that I have you to look after me…"

Ruby looked back up to her sister, shocked.

Yang continued after seeing her sister's face, smiling wider. "I know. For the longest time, I was always the one to look after you. It's different now, though. You're not helpless, Ruby. This is a reminder of that." Yang clutched the scarf, alluding to it.

"I know you can handle yourself now. You can take care of me and the team, just like I have taken care of you." Yang smiled at Ruby, happy that she has become who she is. "You're an amazing huntress, Ruby. Even before you were selected as our leader, you were still able to come up with a brilliant plan that saved all of us, including Jaune who was injured. You killed the alpha in the Emerald forest, and you saved me from certain death." Yang pulled Ruby into a crushing hug, both of them crying. "What I'm saying, is that I'm so, so proud of you, sis! It makes me happy to know that I don't have to worry about you. You keep getting stronger and stronger every day and I'm so proud to call you my sister!"

"Yang!" Ruby cries harder as she shakes in her sister's arms. There's a throb in her chest again, as she heard Yang call her 'sister'.

"Ruby, I-…!" Yang started to say, but was stopped as she heard a door open a level below them. Ruby, still holding onto Yang, activated her semblance and rushed higher up the building, away from the person who came into the stairwell.

* * *

Hearing the steps get quieter as the person walked downwards instead of upwards, Ruby and Yang breathed a sigh of relief. Ruby was still clutching onto Yang, her head on her sister's shoulder, giving her a straight shot to her neck.

Yang felt a light pinch on her throat and then the feeling of Ruby sucking on her neck as she was being drained of her blood. "R-Ruby…" It was all Yang could get out as she had to hold back her moans before Ruby heard them.

Yang's blood was so much sweeter than usual. Ruby was in heaven as she tasted her sister's blood again. After drinking from the blood packs a few times, her palate could really use a cleansing like this.

Ruby was losing herself to the taste as she gripped tighter on Yang's shoulder and waist, not wanting her to go. She was snapped out of it though, as Yang fell down, no longer able to support their weight.

Releasing her sister, Ruby wiped her mouth and knelt down in front of Yang, worried for her. "Y-Yang?! Are you Ok?"

Yang's breathing was shallow, but she was smiling. "I'm…I'm good…Just give me a second…To catch my breath."

Sighing, Ruby sat down next to her, both of them against the wall of the stairwell, waiting for her sister to get her second wind. "I'm sorry! It's just that…After the blood bags, your blood tastes so much better. I couldn't help myself." Ruby poked her pointer fingers together, feeling like a child about to be scolded by a parent.

Yang leans her head against Ruby's shoulder to rest as she smiles more. "I did say…I didn't mind, Rubes…I still mean that." Yang then felt some wetness on her neck dripping down and pulled back, raising her hand to check it. She pulled it back and saw blood. "Uh, Ruby? Think you could…Seal the bites next time?" Yang felt light headed from the loss of blood and lolled her head back against the wall.

"Yang?! I'm sorry! Here!" Ruby panicked, but tilted Yang's head away from her to give her better access to her neck. She licked up the blood and the bite marks as they sealed closed again. Yang let out an involuntary whimper at the feeling. "Are you Ok? Do you need me to get you some blood? We are at a hospital, Yang?" Ruby panicked again, not knowing why Yang really whimpered out.

"No, Ruby. I'm fine…They would want to know why I'm missing blood anyways…And there isn't really a good excuse since the wound is now closed up." Yang waved off her sister's idea, giving a good reason.

Yang started to get her breath back after sitting still for a while, the lightheadedness starting to fade. So Ruby got to her feet again and bent down next to her.

"Well, here. How about I take you back to Weiss' room to rest while I get you three some food." Ruby said as she put Yang's arm over her shoulder to pick her up and support her.

"What? No, Ruby. I'm going with you, I can't let you go out into the city alone. Cinder and the White Fang are based here. That's crazy!-W-Woah!" Yang felt dizzy again after getting worked up. They had made it into the hallway leading to Weiss' room from before as Yang braced herself against the wall beside her.

"Yang, you're in no condition to stand, let alone walk around the city carrying food. You're going to stay put in Weiss' room. You just got through telling me that you don't have to worry about me anymore. Trust me, Yang. Please?"

Yang groaned, not liking how Ruby used her own words against her, but conceded. "I do trust you Ruby, but I'll never truly stop worrying about you. I'm your older sister, it's what I do."

"Touching, but Ruby's not going anywhere in Vale alone. Not after what happened with Weiss, Red." A voice called out from behind them.

The pair turned around and they could see a glaring Coco adjusting her shades with a hand on her hip.

"Coco?! What are you doing here?" Ruby asked surprised to see the other vampire.

' _So this is Coco? The other vampire around our age…'_ Yang scanned across Coco, looking for anything to make her believe she's not trustworthy. _'She seems like she's easily upset. Why is she so mad at Ruby?'_ The hypocrisy was completely lost on Yang as she kept her eyes on Coco.

"Doing my job, Ruby! You didn't send me any notification that you left the school again! I thought we went over this? I can't watch over you if I don't know where the hell you are!" Coco stomped over to Ruby and stopped in front of her, still glaring.

"Oh, crud! I forgot again! I'm sorry Coco! It's just that a lot has happened today, it slipped my mind." Ruby apologized.

"Yeah, I see that. It looks like your sister is better now. Or at least somewhat…" Coco lowered her glasses and stared at Yang's wobbly legs as she was braced against the wall with her arm slung over Ruby's shoulder. Coco smirked, seeing a tiny splotch of fresh blood on her scarf. "Did some feeding, I see, Ruby?"

Yang and Ruby blushed bright red at the bulls-eye.

"Uh-h! Sh-She needed some after healing me today! It was the least I could do…" Yang finished, muttering. It was picked up though, by the vampire hearing, and Coco smirked.

"Oh, I'm sure it was no trouble at all for you~." Coco chuckled, the anger all but receded. Now replaced with mirth and mischief.

"Ok, fine! I'm sorry, Coco. Since it's what you're here to do, you can come along with me to get dinner for my teammates after we get Yang back to Weiss' room. She needs to rest." Ruby shoved her blush down and powered through to focus on the task at hand.

Yang made like she was about to disagree again, but was silenced as Ruby put her hand up and glared. "No, Yang! You can't come with us in your condition. Look at it this way, at least now I will have someone to look out for me, right?"

Yang pouted, pushing out her cheeks and crossing her arms, upset. "Yeah…But I wanted to be the one to go with you..." Yang muttered the last part quietly, but again it was picked up by Coco. Ruby only heard a vague grumble.

"What was that, Yang?" Ruby asked innocently

"Yang said th-!" Coco was about to embarrass Yang, but the blonde stopped her by covering her mouth with her hand.

"Nothing! Let's just go already!" Yang answered, giving Coco a glare. One that Coco smirked at after Yang removed her hand.

As Ruby helped Yang along, Coco trailed behind them with a smirk. "Wow, those two are worse than me and Velvet were…"

* * *

The door to Weiss' room opened and the two occupants turned towards it, expecting Yang and Ruby.

"Wow that was fast. Did Ruby use her semblance again?" Weiss asked as she saw Ruby carry Yang in, followed by Coco after them. "What happened?!"

"It's Ok! She's just… tired is all…" Ruby lied poorly and the others easily caught it.

Seeing this, Yang sighed and decided to speak up with a calm grin. "Ruby fed off of me, but she took a little too much. I'm fine though, just need some rest."

The chill behavior did not work on the monochrome duo however. "What?!" They shouted in unison.

"Ruby drinks your blood? Sh-Shouldn't she get it from like a blood bank or something?" Weiss asked, weirded out by the idea.

"Right, like that never crossed out parents' minds before." Yang said with heavy sarcasm. "I think the people there would find it strange that a little girl was getting blood every week or so." Yang shook her head as she was put in a chair to rest.

Ruby spoke up for her to finish. "While I'm sure my parents could have come up with something for me, that never really became an issue after I fed off of Yang for the first time." Blushing, Ruby continued. "Since then, I've been feeding off of her only. It's been going on for about 5 years now."

"And you're Ok with this?" Weiss asks Yang.

"Of course I am! She's my sis, why wouldn't I be?" Yang answers defensively and then simply.

"Well, look. We can talk about this more later, but right now me and Ruby need to-!" Coco was wanting to hurry up and get this escort over with, but was stopped by Blake.

"Wait a minute! We didn't even think about it! You knew about Ruby being a vampire, Coco?!"

"Duh? I'm one too." Coco lowered her glasses and flashed her crimson eyes and a cocky grin to the room. It was obvious that Ruby's teammates now knew about vampires, judging by how Blake reacted to her being there.

Weiss and Blake gasped at the sight, but Yang snickered at their reaction, getting a pillow to the face from a certain heiress. "Shut-up, Yang!"

"Hey, I didn't say anything!" Yang continued to laugh.

"Come on, Ruby. We should hurry up before we lose more daylight, the suns close to setting." Coco whispers to Ruby, then speaks up to the room. "Hey, we can answer all your questions later, but right now we should go get you some food. What do you all want?"

After getting everyone's preferences, Coco and Ruby left after Yang was talked down into not coming again.

* * *

"Man, she's persistent! Your sister could barely move, yet she still wanted to come along to protect you. Have you told her how you feel yet? Because at this point, you're crazy not to have!" Coco said to Ruby as they walked out of the hospital.

"Wh-What?! No! Mmmh…I'm working on it, Ok! I have to find the right time is all…" Ruby twiddled her thumbs as they walked down the street.

"You better hurry up, before she loses interest or someone else catches her eye. You can't wait forever on this!" Coco advises as they pick up some Chinese food for Yang.

"She-She wouldn't!" Ruby gets worried for her chances.

"Wait too long and just like when you cook, it will burn Ruby. You need to act." Coco said as they strolled to a seafood place for Blake and Weiss.

"I know…It just seems like something keeps interrupting us. I'll definitely tell her tomorrow! Hopefully, after we spend time with our partners on partner day, we will get some time to talk alone." Ruby smiles, thinking her plan will work.

"Partner day, huh? I'll hold you to that, Ruby." Coco pointed to the fledgling as they left the seafood restaurant.

"Right! Thanks, Coco." Ruby says softly, giving a warm smile to her vampire friend.

"Yeah, yeah. Just remember to frickin text me next time you leave the school!" Coco waved off her cheery caped friend, but smiled at her. Completely clueless to the one that was tailing them.

* * *

Looking down the scope of a marksman rifle, someone could see the back of Ruby's head in a crowd of people from an elevated position. "I have a clear shot…No one will be able to catch me from here." The person whispered into their earpiece as they kept their rifle on the mark.

"No, Scarlett. She wants her alive! You are just there to observe for now, nothing more. Figure out where she has been going, and report it back to us." A voice crackled in through the feed. It was Adam's.

"She came from the Vale Central Hospital with someone I don't recognize. They aren't on her team. A brunette with shades and a beret. She looks to be an upperclassmen, but I can't tell how old she is. Maybe a year or two older than the first years?" Scarlett reports about Coco, then stands back up to re-position as Ruby and Coco are out of her sight again.

The black and brown haired Ocelot faunus jumped from roof to roof until she was in position again. Adam's voice comes back to her as she was jumping. "We'll see if we can't find out who she is. Keep following them." Spotting her target again, Scarlett pulled out her rifle again watched as Ruby and Coco walked into the hospital.

"Well, they're inside the hospital now. Next orders?" The scout asked as she lowered her weapon and put her finger to her ear to cut out all the hustle and bustle of the city below her.

"Then come back to the base. Cinder wanted us for something urgent as soon as you were done scouting. Her ghouls are apparently about to be indisposed of outside of the Kingdom, so we're the next ones in line. Terrific." Adam spat in sarcasm, hating to be used to do Cinder's bidding whenever it suited her.

"It would have been so easy to have just taken the shot, I don't understand why she likes to play with her prey so much. It's a waste of time, Adam." Scarlett argued as she made her way to the White Fang base, climbing down the side of the walls like it was nothing.

"We don't have a choice in the matter. Killing the Rose is killing yourself when dealing with Cinder. She's obsessed with her."

"But why? What could she possibly have done to Cinder to make her so obsessed like that? She seemed to be pretty normal to me…" The scout faunus had been tailing Ruby since she left Beacon, and since then, the Rose did nothing to acquire Cinder's wrath like she thought.

"Does it matter? Scarlett, she's a **human**! And a monster like Cinder! If they want to kill themselves, then I say we let them. It's less hassle for us in the end…" Adam spit venomous emphasis on human. He then smiled, thinking of Cinder being killed by her own obsession.

"Right…I'll be back in 15." Scarlett said as she cut the communication, no longer needing it. "Blake, what have you done to him…?"

* * *

"How are you holding up, Weiss?" Yang asked from the chair Ruby sat her down in, after the two vampires left.

"I don't know…Better? I don't think I'm ready to have another panic attack, if that's what you mean." Weiss tried to explain the best she could. Revisiting the buried past is never fun, but maybe it needed to happen if she was to accept who Ruby really was. Besides, just like she thought, Blake was there beside her, holding her.

"That's good news…That really scared us to see you like that, Weiss. I'm glad you're Ok." Blake spoke as she kissed Weiss' shoulder and squeezed her tighter in her arms.

"D'awww…The Ice Queen is melting!" Yang chirped happily, teasing them.

"You're lucky this is our last pillow, Yang, or I'd nail you in the face again!" Weiss glared daggers at the blonde, but she just shrugged it off with a cheeky grin.

"Woah, easy there Weiss! Your girlfriend is right there!" Yang laughed at her own joke as the other two scowled at her.

"Not funny, Yang." Blake said unamused, but inside she was smiling just a little bit.

Still laughing, Yang tried to calm down. "Ok, Ok! I'm done for now. It's just too easy to get you two riled up, I can't help it!"

"Well, help it! I don't want any more teasing about our relationship from you!" Weiss demanded.

"Well that's just not going to happen!" Yang snickered at the impossible request. "I'll promise to cut back, but I can't go cold turkey, are you insane?"

"Uggghh!" Weiss groaned at the infuriating blonde, then looked to Blake who stayed mostly out of it, and whispered. "And you liked her? Why?" Yang didn't catch what she said.

Blake shot up in a blush and stared wide eyed at her girlfriend. "We-Weiss?!"

"What? What did she say?" Yang asked, curiosity taking over.

"N-Nothing!" The two on the bed said in unison again. Weiss and Blake looked at each other in shock, before bursting out in laughter. Yang quickly followed, thinking how perfect and in sync they are together.

Calming down, Yang wiped a tear from her eye, smiling at the others wanting to tell them just what she thought of them. "Wow, you two are so perfect for each other!" Yang commented, not knowing about the extreme irony behind that statement. Blake and Weiss knew about it though.

"Th-Thank you…" Weiss said awkwardly and looked to Blake, giving a nudge to her shoulder. Yang was the last one to know about Blake's faunus heritage from the team.

Seeing that was what Weiss meant, Blake nodded in agreement. "Hey, Yang…There's-…" Blake was interrupted as the door to the room opened though.

* * *

"We're back!" Ruby yelled as she slammed the patient room door open and walked in, Coco smirking behind her.

"Dolt! You don't have to yell! This is a hospital, not an amusement park!" Weiss scolded the now, not so secret, vampire.

"Oh, you're just mad because someone's having fun, Weiss!" Yang laughed, forgetting that Blake was about to say something, as Ruby handed her a steaming box of Kung Pao Chicken. "Thanks, Rubes!" Yang set the box down and gave Ruby a hug, both of them melting into it.

"Here." Coco said, ignoring the two oblivious lovebirds and handing two to-go boxes to Blake and Weiss.

"Thanks, Coco." "Much appreciated." The monochrome duo thanked respectively.

"I'll tell her later…" Blake whispered to Weiss as they open their food boxes and dig in. Coco caught it, but didn't say anything.

Weiss nodded to Blake, then continued the current conversation with Coco. "You didn't get anything?" Weiss asked, seeing that that was the last dish that they brought.

"We uh, don't _eat_ much, if you catch my meaning…" Coco explained, flashing her red eyes again.

"Oh, right. So you only sustain off of…Blood then?" Weiss asked, feeling uncomfortable in the situation.

"Sure do. Food just makes us sick if we try to ingest it. If we must, we can eat it to maintain our cover, but we have to puke it up later, or we get really ill. It's really not pleasant." Coco shook her head, remembering the first and hopefully last time she accidently ingested some human food.

Coco was young and therefore had a short attention span. After eating with her friends at school one time, they immediately wanted to play tag, so she joined in. They played for about an hour and by then, she forgot about it. She was sick for a week, throwing up with a high fever.

"But what about Ruby? She seemed to enjoy cookies and strawberry crepes? I doubt Ruby is that good of an actress." Blake smirked at her leader as she pouted at the jab. Ruby sat beside her sister after they broke out of the hug.

"Hey! I'm plenty good at fooling people!" Ruby argued.

"Sure you are, sis. How many times did mom or dad catching you taking cookies from the pantry without permission? I remember you tried to play it off as, 'just cleaning it out for the next batch', very believable, Rubes!" Yang snickered, taking another bite of her food as Ruby huffed in a bigger pout.

"I was 8, what did you expect? Mmmh…You guys are mean! Ganging up on me…" The leader grumbled, but was snapped out of it as Yang put her food down beside her and pulled Ruby into her lap, calming her down.

"We're just kidding, Rubes. I'm not very good at fooling people either. I prefer to let my fists do the talking!" Yang gripped harder on Ruby to emphasize her point.

Ruby wheezed out as she was gripped too tightly by Yang. "Ok! *choke* I get it, Yang! *choke* Let go please!"

Yang relented like asked, and loosened her grip with a chuckle, just wanting Ruby to be over the teasing. Addressing the previous question asked by her partner, Yang answers for Ruby. "I may have lied about Ruby needing only junk-food to fuel her semblance." Giving a cheeky smile to the others. Yang then picked her box back up and ate over Ruby's shoulder.

"Of course you did. So she doesn't eat normal food because she's a vampire? This is all so strange…" Weiss finished her statement with a tired mutter.

"It really is…" Blake agreed.

"Ok, maybe a little, but Ruby has been eating strawberries and cookies because they are the foods that she can stand to eat for keeping her appearance. Every vampire has preferences to eat that they can tolerate. They still can't ingest them though." Yang explained for them.

"So you throw up every time you eat something? That must be rough on your bodies." Weiss says, softly.

"Not really. Our bodies rapidly repair any damage done to it. The only issue is that it can't heal the struggle the body goes through when digesting food that we don't have a use for. That process takes a while and during that time, we become extremely weak." Coco explains, knowing what it feels like.

"Well, what about the glowing red eyes? Ruby doesn't have them, and neither do you, normally, as far as we can tell?" Weiss asks, never seeing Ruby like that.

"Actually, I saw Ruby's eyes change crimson a few times before. Once was in the alleyway before Weiss was hurt." Blake cut in, wanting to know about that too.

"Oh, hehe…Woops! I guess I didn't control myself well enough, huh?" Ruby nervously laughed, still in Yang's lap.

"Ruby?" Coco asked in a low, dangerous tone.

"Y-Yes?"

"How have you not been caught this far in your life yet?" Coco asked, bewildered by the caped girl's luck.

"She doesn't get around too many other people, often…" Yang muttered, explaining it for them.

Sighing, Coco continued. "Still, that's amazing. You have got to be the worst person at hiding your vampire traits. I heard from Oz that you haven't had people tell you how to control your emotions. Is that true?"

Ruby nodded, feeling like she was doing this all wrong. Yang squeezed her again, this time, much lighter though. Just enough to show her that she was in good hands.

Coco then remembers about what Ruby said, that she didn't have her mother around anymore. _'She hasn't had the chance to be taught, has she…?'_

"Well, since I'm going to be around you anyways, why don't I teach you?" Coco asks, with a shrug.

"Really?! You'd do that?" Ruby lit up, excited about the experience. Ozpin has been too busy lately to teach her more, so this was perfect for her.

"Why not? It's my duty to make sure that our secret is kept, and you not controlling your eyes and emotions is a big hazard to that." Coco smirked at the fledgling as she pouted. Weiss and Blake find it strange to hear all of this, but looking at each other, they decide to ask about it later.

"This isn't something that you can just learn though, Ruby. As someone that is so bubbly and all over the place, controlling yourself isn't something you're going to be good at. It takes a lot of mental control to not get upset or angry and lose control. I'm sure that's why Blake noticed your eyes in the alley. You were upset, weren't you?" Coco continued to explain.

"A little…They were taking a family away. What was I supposed to do?!" Ruby raised her voice at the end, her eyes tenting red.

"And that's what I mean." Coco pointed to Ruby, her eyes specifically. The older vampire sighed, but continued her speech. "It's just something you have to work at Ruby. Tempering your emotions has been a very widely used technique in battle, and this fight with Cinder will be no different. It's the one edge you have against her if you end up fighting her alone. Though technically, it's a double edged sword, as Cinder is also very strong because she lets her emotions run rampant." Coco goes off on a tangent as she finishes.

"Well, why can't Ruby just do that then? Wouldn't it even the playing field?" Weiss interjects, wanting to help.

"That's a dangerous idea, Weiss. Letting our emotions go eventually turns us into mindless killing machines. Some think they can overcome their emotions and still gain their power, but no one ever gets both. It's amazing that Cinder has lasted this long with her mind still somewhat there, but she's a ticking time-bomb, I'm sure. If Ruby wants to try, that's her decision, though." Coco gestures to the caped leader.

"Ruby…?" Yang asks, worried.

"No! I don't want to be anything like **her**!" Ruby yelled, putting the idea out of the question for herself.

"Alright then, then I suppose you should get some rest. Come find me in Beacon whenever you want to start sparring." Coco said as she got up from her seat.

"Wait, what? Sparring? Why do we need to fight for you to teach me control?" Ruby asks, confused.

"Because in a battle situation, your mind can become a great weapon or the world's largest handicap if you don't condition it properly. I'm going to be goading you during the spar to trip you up. I'm telling you this, because it truly doesn't matter if you know I'm going to try or not. I'm going to be saying anything at all to make you slip up. And you will Ruby. You asked for my help, just remember that." Coco waves over her back as she leaves the room.

* * *

"Well that was ominous…" Yang spoke up, clearing the air.

Three people groaned out in the room at the blondes 'joke'.

"What? It was?" Yang shrugged.

Ruby hopped off of her sister's lap and walked over to the door. Yang got up with her, but was still a little shaky, not fully recovered from the blood loss. "I think we should go too, it's getting late. Don't forget Weiss. Partner day tomorrow!" Ruby put on a small smile, wanting to appear that she wasn't shook up by what Coco said.

Groaning, Weiss answers back, not amused. "Right…I wish I could forget."

Blake beside her chuckles, holding her hand. "I'm sure it won't be too bad. You get to learn more about vampires, I suppose." The faunus tries cheering her up by mentioning a great opportunity.

"Yeah, maybe." That makes Weiss remember what Coco said previously. "Hey, Ruby? What was that about Coco being around you more? And about it being her duty to make sure 'our' secret is kept?"

Turning around at the door with Yang beside her, Ruby stops. "Uhm…Coco has been put in charge to look out for me by Ozpin. The child-hood friend thing from earlier was actually a cover up. Sorry for lying, but it was necessary. Coco is going to be around me at all times when I leave Beacon. As long as she doesn't have a mission or something that she can't get away from."

"So you have a babysitter?" Blake asks, amused.

Ruby pouts, thinking the same thing. "I know! I thought the same thing when I was told about it! It's true, though. She's like a bodyguard…"

"So you're really in danger then, aren't you Ruby?" Weiss asks, astonished that her 15 year old leader is being targeted by an apparent sociopathic vampire.

"I am…But that's why I'm here! For not just protection, but also to get stronger! I won't let Cinder get away with anymore of her crimes!" Ruby yells, grabbing Yang's hand and they both leave the room. Every step of Ruby's is filled with determination for avenging her dead mother.

* * *

"For someone so young, Ruby does seem to have a way about her. Seeing her so determined like that, I actually think she can do it." Weiss admitted to Blake, the only other person in the room.

"She's only 2 years younger than us, Weiss. We're all young. And we're her team, we should help her with this. Her problem should be our problem too. I'm seeing that now." Blake felt her hand become entwined with another, as it was Weiss'.

"Good, because I want to help too. Both her, and you." Weiss smiled at Blake. Blake looked away though.

"You mean the White Fang…" Blake said it as a statement, not needing to ask it as a question. "Weiss…I'm fine. I left them a while ago, it's over now. We can just focus on helping Ruby." Blake lied, knowing that the White Fang doesn't just let people go, especially **him**.

"Just make sure to tell me if something happens. I want to help you in any way I can." Weiss rubbed Blake's hand in hers, wanting to comfort her.

"I will. Now we should get some sleep. Between Ruby's unlimited energy and Yang wanting to beat me into the ground, I think we both could use some rest." Blake hopped off Weiss' bed and pulled up a chair next to it.

"What are you doing? Why don't you sleep with m-me again?" Weiss asks, with a blush as she realizes what she is saying.

"I still am, but this way you get the bed to yourself. You were hurting in the morning, Weiss. You need proper rest, and you can't get it when you're sharing a bed made for one. I'll just sleep next to you. Here." Blake sat down beside the bed and offered her hand with a smile after turning out the lights.

Weiss took it with a smile of her own, making out Blake's appearance in the dark. Weiss could see her bright amber eyes, smiling at her in the darkness. "Fine…I guess you're right."

"Wow, shocking that the heiress admits someone else is right." Blake says with a laugh.

"Shush, you!" Weiss then sees the orbs get closer and disappear. She feels Blake's lips on her own for a moment then pull back as she sees the orbs come back to her.

"Good night, Weiss…" Blake says softly, a smile in her voice as she was able to silence the heiress.

"G-Good night." Weiss felt something lay on her leg, that being Blake's head. The two eventually fell into slumber. Blake took a bit longer than Weiss, due to the positioning, but it was still a nice rest with Weiss near her.

* * *

On the streets of Vale, Ruby and Yang were walking to the air docks wanting to get a ride to Beacon. Yang was mostly Ok at this point, her aura supporting her along with Ruby as her arm was over her sister's shoulder again.

"I can handle it, Ruby. I'm not that weak." Yang argued with Ruby as they continued.

"I'm sure you can, but just let me help you. It was my fault in the first place…" Ruby blushes, as she also wanted to 'help' so it would give her the excuse to be closer to Yang.

Giving out a huff of agreeance, Yang conceded. "Fine, Rubes." Also liking the closeness, Yang relented to being held.

"I could also help, you know?" A voice came from behind them and they groaned.

"No thanks, Coco. We have it handled!" Yang aggravatingly gave her answer as they continued.

Coco had waited up for Ruby and Yang to catch up with her, knowing that Ruby would probably 'forget' to text saying she was leaving again. And what do you know, she did.

"Fine, fine. This is taking too long though. I want to see Vel already!" Coco sighed also aggravated, but because she was tired of going at this snail's pace.

"Then go ahead of us! No one's stopping you!" Yang yelled over her shoulder.

"I can't do that Yang. Who would watch over Ruby?" Coco smirked, knowing the blonde's answer.

"Me! We have it handled!"

"Right, because you limping along clearly shows that you can watch over Ruby. And even if you could, it wouldn't matter. It's still my job, I can't just pawn it off on someone else." Coco explained.

At seeing Yang get more worked up, Ruby rubbed up Yang's side with her left hand at her waist, wanting to comfort her. "Hey, don't worry about. She just wants to help."

"Y-Yeah…I know…" Yang uneasily said, tensing up at Ruby's hand caressing her side. She completely forgot why she was mad earlier.

Seeing this, Ruby smiled, not knowing exactly what caused Yang to finally relax. Coco smirked behind them, seeing everything. She said nothing however as she just kept up behind them.

* * *

After getting back to Beacon Yang was feeling better, able to walk on her own now. While Ruby still wanted to help her, Yang assured her that she could handle it and the fledgling relented.

Walking back to the dorms, they waved bye to Coco whose dorm was on the first floor of the same building.

"Just make sure to text me next time you leave Beacon. I know you're going tomorrow, so don't even try to leave without me, Ruby!" Coco says over her shoulder as she makes her way to her team's dorm.

"Man, she is so clingy!" Yang says as they walk upstairs. "She won't leave you alone for five seconds!"

"I mean, she's just doing her job, Yang. I'm sure she would rather spend time with her team than follow me around, but they're orders from Ozpin. She can't do anything about it." Ruby explains to her disgruntled sister.

"Whatever, she's just so demanding. Always wanting to spend time with you, even when you're with other people. I can watch out for you just fine!" Yang continues her rant as they turn into the hall of their dorm room.

"Yang? Are you jealous that she wants to look out for me too? I guess in a way she is like a second big sister…A vampire one…" Ruby questions, astonished, then starts to really think on it.

"Wh-What?! No!? I'm not jealous of her! No way! I just think she's getting on your nerves with how pushy she is! That's all!" Yang stutters, wanting to cover it up. She was jealous, but not because she was encroaching on her big sis territory.

"Yang, you'll always be my big sister! You don't have to worry about that." Ruby tries to put her sister's mind at ease, but it secretly makes it worse.

"Yeah…Thanks, sis." Yang mutters as she looks away with a blush.

They approach the door and Ruby swipes her scroll over the scanner, amazing Yang as she has never been here to see it yet. "Woah! Can mine do that?!" Yang takes out her scroll that was kept with the rest of her belongings at the infirmary, and swipes it over the scanner, hearing a click as it was locked again.

Yang swipes it a few more times, before Ruby shakes her head and opens the door. "Come on, Yang. That's the least of the cool things in out dorm!"

Walking in the living room, Yang's eyes widen as she sees the holo-TV and the 4 seater couch in front of it. Across the room, from the front door, is an island separating the living room from the kitchen. Ruby gives Yang a quick tour of everything, showing the kitchen next, then the laundry room in the back of that.

They then make their way to their own bedroom and Ruby opens the door. "Tada!" Yang sees the room and can tell it's theirs by the red and yellow covered beds. The red one having a Beowolf plushy resting on it.

"Hey, you still kept Wolfy?" Yang asks, looking at Ruby as she picks up the Beowolf.

"Y-Yeah…It was from you. I couldn't leave him behind in Patch…" Ruby mutters, weakly explaining the reason.

Petting the plushy in her hands, Yang smiles at her sister. "That's sweet…"

Ruby blushes, embarrassed by the praise. "W-Well, I mean you won him for me! He means a lot to me, be-because you mean a lot…"

Yang smiles wider at Ruby's words. "You mean a lot too, Ruby…I-…"

"S-So anyways! Maybe we should get some sleep for tomorrow. It seems like a busy day!" Ruby interrupts, not hearing Yang's words. She rushes to the bathroom with her PJs in hand, not waiting for her sister to respond.

Yang sighs, then chuckles, stroking her hair. _'Again, Ruby…? She's such a scatter brain. Maybe tomorrow...'_

* * *

In the bathroom, Ruby was pacing. _'What am I doing? Saying something like that? "You mean a lot to me?!" Arrrgh! I'm such an idiot! Ok, just get ready for bed and pretend like nothing happened.'_

Ruby finished getting dressed and forgot the knocking rule, also forgetting to tell Yang about said rule. She opened the door and caught Yang in her bra, taking off her shorts.

"W-What, Ruby?" Yang asked nervously as she hesitated on covering herself, but they were sisters. They had seen each other in underwear plenty of times before.

"Ohmahgosh, Yang! I'm sorry!" Ruby turns around and shuts the bathroom door again.

"W-What about? We've seen each other like this dozens of times, we're sisters…" Yang stumbles through as she hurries to change her clothes for bed.

"Y-Yeah…But I just felt like…I don't know? Like I was peeping on you?" Ruby answers awkwardly from the bathroom.

"Well, you aren't, are you?" Yang asks as a joke with humor in her voice, also feeling uncomfortable.

"O-Of course not!" Ruby refutes, embarrassed.

"Then it's fine…I'm done, Ruby." Yang says as she slips on a white shirt that says 'Gold' in block letters. The only other thing she was wearing to bed besides her panties.

Ruby steps out holding her arm worried, but at seeing Yang in her own red bed, with her legs crisscross style smiling, her eyes widened a bit.

"What? I thought we could sleep together again, l-like in the infirmary…" Yang scratched her cheek and looked away.

"O-Oh! I just…Y-Yeah that sounds good." Ruby stuttered through, walking beside her bed, Yang turning towards her.

"Good." Yang pulled the covers back and slipped in.

Ruby slipped in after her and pulled out her scroll to turn the lights off.

"Oh, cool! They control the lights, too!" Yang asks, amazed, right behind Ruby, spooking her.

At her yelp of surprise, Yang puts a hand on Ruby's shoulder to calm her down. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

As Ruby turns around in the bed, she can see Yang, even in the darkness. Thankfully, Yang's eyes hadn't adjusted yet, so she couldn't see Ruby's blush. "It's Ok. I just didn't expect you to be that close…I'm fine now though." Ruby mutters as she snuggles closer to Yang's warmth.

Yang smiles as she wraps her arms around her sister, putting her chin atop of Ruby's head after giving it a kiss. "G'night, Rubes."

"Night, Yang." Ruby whispers as she wraps her own arms around the brawler, nudging her head into the crook of her crushes neck.

* * *

 **So a lot happened. Weiss seems to be alright for now, as long as she has Blake and the rest of her team. :)**

 **Since this chapter had a lot of things in it, just ask me if something confused you, I'll explain it the best I can without getting into spoiler territory. Don't forget to follow if you haven't already. Drop me a review if you have suggestions on how to improve the story, or just want to say something about it. Peace!**


	22. A Friend In Need

**Hello! I'm not dead! Just sore and tired. This new job is pretty physical, so I'm tired by the time I get home. I don't really feel like doing anything, other than eating and going to bed by then, but I'm off now, so I get to write!**

 **So here's one half of partner day! Weiss and Ruby's part. The next chapter will be Blake and Yang's, so look forward to their sparring scene with the next chapter!**

 **If you weren't aware, I released the second chapter of The Best Pieces a few days ago, and it's of the first time Weiss and Yang met in high school! It's also a teaser for a new story I will be working on, which is basically the prequel to The Panther Sinks Her Claws. It's going to be Weiss, Yang, and Ruby's high school life, before they grew up into who they were in Panther. I know, how original. A high school story! But it's only used so much because it works so well and everyone goes through it.**

 **Anyways...Now to this chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 22: A Friend In Need

Weiss awoke the next day, feeling rested. She felt her hand in someone else's and opened her eyes to see Blake smiling at her, drawing circles on her hand in her grasp.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?" Blake asked as she moved a lock of Weiss' hair out of her face.

"How long have you been watching me sleep?" Weiss asked with a smile, curious, but also amused by the attention Blake was giving her.

"Just a few minutes." Blake answered, her cheeks turning pink from being caught.

"Well to answer your question-…" Weiss gives out a cute yawn and covers her mouth with her other hand, then continues. "…Yes I slept well. I feel better too. I think my aura has done its job. My chest doesn't feel tight anymore." Weiss says as she rubs over the hospital gown and bandage to test it. "Mmh…It's still a little sore, but I feel fine. I wonder if I could be released yet?"

"I don't know, Weiss. Don't push it though, or you'll never fully recover." Blake worries as she sits down on Weiss' bed to get closer, Weiss sits up in the bed.

"I won't, don't worry. So are you ready to spar against Yang today?" Weiss changes the topic, not wanting Blake to worry over her anymore.

"I suppose. What about you with Ruby? That sounds…Fun." Blake asks with a smirk.

"Well, like you put it the other day, I get to ask Ruby more about vampires and she certainly likes to talk, so it's a win-win." Weiss matches the smirk from her girlfriend.

"Speaking of which…Are you Ok with that as well?" Blake asks slowly, not wanting to upset Weiss. "Ruby being a vampire, I mean?"

"She's…She's no different from before the reveal. While I think it was wrong for her to keep that a secret from us, I can't really blame her. It was a pretty big secret." Weiss admitted.

"That's true, and the Council, I think she called them, a group of elder vampires, didn't want people to know about their existence. Her telling us was a really big deal." Blake added, getting worried. "She also didn't want us to tell anyone else, Weiss. Ruby said that the Council wouldn't allow anyone to share this secret to outsiders."

"I understand. I'm not one to blabber about other people's secrets. I've kept yours, haven't I?" Weiss smiled as she kissed Blake's hand in hers.

"You've only known for a few days, Weiss." Blake spoke with a smile, but the secret made Blake remember what Ruby said about monsters. "Hey, you may want to apologize to Ruby about calling her a monster. I'm sure she knows you didn't mean it, but it wouldn't hurt to be sure."

"O-Oh…Right. That…I-I will. Do you think she'll forgive me?" Weiss asks, worried that she truly hurt her partner.

"She will. I don't see Ruby as someone who would hold a grudge like that. You have nothing to worry about." Blake leaned in to kiss away Weiss' worry, but as their lips connected, Blake cupped Weiss' cheek and pressed into the kiss more, kneeling beside Weiss on the bed.

Weiss was surprised at first, but melted into it as Blake brushed her tongue along her lips, asking for entry. She accepted and hooked her arms around Blake's neck to pull her closer. Weiss laid back against the headboard as Blake continued the tongue assault, taking dominance over the other tongue in Weiss' mouth.

Weiss let out a sensual moan as Blake started to suck on her tongue. Blake shifted over Weiss to be directly over her, mounting her as she started to kiss down her neck. The faunus then brought a hand down to cup Weiss' chest over her hospital gown, causing her girlfriend to gasp and push Blake away on instinct.

"Blake!" Weiss gasped out, shocked, not upset, just surprised by the action.

"S-Sorry Weiss! Was that too much? I-I just thought…Well, that was a pretty heated kiss, so…" Blake apologized as she moved back to sitting on the side of the bed, blushing from the exertion of the intimacy and getting caught at second base.

Face flushed and breathing heavily, Weiss sat back up again, although shakily this time. "I don't know…I only pushed you back because you touched close to my wound. I was afraid it was going to hurt. I-It felt fine, though." Weiss explained, still out of breath and blushing.

"Your wound…I'm sorry Weiss, I forgot while in the moment." Blake scratched her cheek awkwardly and looked away, inwardly berating herself for the lapse of memory.

Seeing this in Blake's eyes, Weiss got her attention by cupping her cheek and making Blake face her again. "Hey, it's Ok. You didn't hurt me, Blake. It was just a startle."

"Yeah…" Blake muttered, unsure of that. "Is this fine with you though, Weiss? The kissing…and touching? Because I can stop if you want me to." Blake asked, worried that she was moving too fast for Weiss.

"I'm…Not sure." Weiss answered looking down at her hands as she cupped them together in her lap. "I haven't exactly had much experience when it comes to showing affection…I-It feels right, but I'm just not used to it yet." Weiss stuttered out in embarrassment.

Smiling at how nervous and twitchy Weiss was, Blake spoke up. "Ok. We'll go at your pace then. You need experience, well here's your chance."

Weiss' eyes widened at the statement. "Wh-What!? No! I would much rather you take care of it! I don't know what I'm doing, Blake!"

"Which is exactly why you should have some say in when we start to mess around. We're in this relationship together, Weiss. I don't think it will work if I call all of the shots." Blake shook her head at the idea, but kept her smile.

"But-But I don't-…!" Weiss started to argue again, but was cut off by Blake raising her hand.

"It's not difficult, Weiss. Just do it when the moment strikes you. Kiss me when you want to show how much I mean to you, hug me when you want something to hold on to, just do what feels natural. You can't get it wrong if it's from the heart." Blake reached up to Weiss and kissed her on the forehead then brought her in for a hug.

The blue eyed girl returned the hug, happy that Blake had so much confidence in her. She didn't want to let her down, so she hugged tighter to the faunus to show she would never let go.

* * *

It was short lived however, as the door opened up and a loud girl came in. "Partner day!"

The couple on the bed let out a groan at the loud noise interrupting their private moment.

"Oooh, seems like we came at a bad time, sis." Yang grabbed Ruby by the shoulder and pulled her back. "Sorry guys! Didn't mean to interrupt!" Yang gave a salute that meant, 'carry on', and made like she was going to leave with Ruby in tow.

"You don't have to leave. We were just f-finishing up with a conversation." Weiss stuttered with a blush as she lied about the make-out session.

"Sure…Seemed like a pretty **heated** conversation." Yang joked, noticing the red marks on Weiss' neck from when Blake kissed her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, quite sure." Weiss answered calmly, trying to save face.

"Well, Ok! How are you feeling, Weiss?" Ruby asked, completely ignoring all of the tension that was previously in the air. The caped girl took a seat next to Weiss as she placed a bag next to her chair that she carried in.

"I'm better. How much longer do you think I need to be in here?" Weiss asked, wanting to get out of this place so she can go back to her shared bedroom with Blake. They had only been there for less than a week, but it already felt like an actual home, considering her real childhood home was so cold and empty.

"Don't know. I guess that would depend on your aura and how much of it that you have to use?" Yang put forth as she took a seat next to Ruby who was sitting on the other side of Weiss' bed from Blake.

"Well, I feel fine, just a small pang when I brush the wound now." Weiss said as she checked the bandage again.

"Has the doctor said anything about it?" Ruby asks trying to help.

"Dr. Stevens hasn't been by today yet, so I don't know. He usually comes around at noon." Weiss informs as she glances at the clock. 10:43 A.M.

"Well, you should ask him about it then. In the meantime…Blake!" Yang says, pointing at her partner. "Time to go spar!"

"Yeah, yeah. I know, it's partner day." Blake mutters as she gets up to go, but turns around to Weiss. "Seeya, Weiss. I'll be back later." Blake leans in and gives her a small peck on the lips, goodbye.

"Bye. Don't hurt her too much." Weiss waved to Blake.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt your girlfriend!" Yang teased as she stretched her shoulder by the door.

"I was talking about Blake not hurting **you**." Weiss deadpanned as Ruby and Blake giggled at Yang's shocked face.

"Oh, we'll see about that!" Yang opened the door and charged out, ready to prove them wrong.

Blake sighed with a smile on her face as she looked to her leader that was staying with the heiress. "Seeya Ruby. Have fun annoying Weiss."

"Will do! Bye Blake!" Ruby chirps out, playing along with the black haired girl walking out the door.

"Hey?! Blake, you traitor!" Weiss screamed, but as she saw the playful smile on the faunus' face she couldn't help but smile at it too, as it disappeared behind the closed door.

* * *

"Soooo…Weiss? What do you wanna play?" Ruby asked as she picked up and dumped her bag of games on Weiss' bed.

Card games, board games, dice games, dominos, Ruby owned a lot of party games from her childhood in Patch and she brought them with her to Beacon.

"Geeze, Ruby! You're cleaning up this mess right now! I can't even move my legs anymore with all of this junk on them!" Weiss complained as she moved some around, occasionally glancing at a few.

"Sorry! I guess I should have thought that through more? Hehehe…" Ruby chuckled nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. She then noticed Weiss looking at a game that she picked up from the pile and the caped leader recognized the cover. "Oh, have you played checkers before?"

"No, actually. I've played chess, but isn't checkers supposed to be a simpler version? My father didn't want me wasting time on 'stupid board games' so my sister and I weren't allowed to play this. He considered chess to be a battle of wits though, and therefor wanted me to play it as a learning tool." Weiss explained, thinking about how she always lost to Winter or her father.

"Well, hey! Now you can play it with me! I'll set it up." Ruby made room on Weiss' legs and then set the board atop them. The leader then set the pieces up, black for Weiss as she let her go first.

"Don't I get a say in this? What if I don't want to play checkers?" Weiss crossed her arms and stared at Ruby expecting an answer.

"You don't know how to play, do you?" Ruby taunted, knowing it will rile the heiress up.

"Of-Of course I do! Checkers is a child's game! A 6 year old could play it!" Weiss looked down at the board in her lap and hesitated on moving a piece. She really didn't know how to play. _'Do they move like a pawn in chess, or maybe a king...?'_ Weiss moved the piece on the left side of the board, straight, two spaces upwards.

"Nope. That's not how you move a piece, Weiss. They go diagonally. Like this." Ruby corrected, and moved Weiss' piece back to the start and then diagonally right, as left was at the edge of the board. The red head then moved her own piece forward to match Weiss' diagonally on the left of her piece.

' _If this is how they move then…'_ Weiss thought about it as she picked up her piece adjacent to Ruby's and put it over the piece, 'capturing' it. "Ha! First blood!"

"Wrong again, Weiss. You have the angle right, but you have to be able to jump over the piece to claim it!" Ruby moved the pieces back and gestured for Weiss to make another move.

"Ok…Like this?" Weiss moved the piece below her last moved one to the right diagonally one, leaving her first piece open for Ruby to take.

"Yes, but…You left it open for me." Ruby said as she jumped Weiss' piece and took it.

"Drat! Well then I'll take this one!" Weiss then jumped the piece Ruby just used and scored her own piece.

"There you go!" Ruby said as she moved her next piece and they continued with the game.

It was then down to 4 pieces for Weiss to Ruby's 8 and she just made it to the other edge of the board. "King me!" Ruby cheered out as she smiled at Weiss.

"Uh, what?" Weiss' elegant response was matched with a head cocked to the side in a questioning manner.

"Oh, right. When you make it to the other side of the board with a piece, you shout 'king me!' and the other player stacks a piece on top of that piece to show that it's a king now! King pieces can move forwards or backwards, giving them the advantage." Ruby explains as she picks up a discarded piece and puts it on top of the recently moved one.

"Well, there! King me!" Weiss moved her next piece and it was in the same manner as Ruby's last, at the other side of the board.

"You're having fun!" Ruby shouted, giving a beaming smile towards the heiress to show that she's having fun too.

"I just don't want to lose is all…" Weiss shook her head and looked away from the smile.

Ruby just snickered at the pout and continued playing as Weiss puffed out her cheeks, noticing Ruby didn't buy it.

Weiss lost the first game, but almost made a comeback as she figured out the last of the rules near the end. Weiss was a little miffed that she lost to such an air head at a game so similar to a game that she considered herself a master at, so she challenged Ruby to another to reclaim her lost honor.

Ruby of course, accepted, just wanting to have fun with her new BFF. During the second game, Weiss asked a question that must have been on her mind since she learned of Ruby's vampirism.

"Ruby…What does it feel like? To be a vampire? I'm sorry if that's insensitive, you don't have to answer." Weiss shook her head, dismissing the question immediately.

"No, that's Ok! I would be curious too." Ruby smiled and shook her head at how silly Weiss was for thinking that would offend her so easily. "Let's see…Um? I guess I don't really know how to explain it. I've been a vampire for most of my life, so I don't really remember being human anymore. I was 6 when I was turned, you see." At seeing Weiss' reaction to not getting an answer, Ruby thought about it more, wanting to appease her friend and partner.

"I guess…It's…Cold…" Ruby said with no real emotion.

"Cold?" Weiss questioned simply, curious as to what she means.

"Yeah. I don't have a beating heart anymore, so I'm always cold…Like a dead person. I am a dead person." Ruby finished with a mutter, clasping her hands together as she looked down at them. She felt nothing from her own hands, but she assumed if someone else touched them, they would be as cold as ice. It was the norm for her though, she didn't feel anything from herself, but she still had a sense of touch when it came from others.

Ruby was suddenly flicked on the forehead and recoiled from the pain. "Oww! What did I do to deserve that?!" Ruby asked the heiress, angry from the assault out of nowhere.

"If you were a dead person, you wouldn't have felt that." Weiss shook her head at her partner. "You're very much alive, Ruby. You may not have a beating heart, but you still live. It's the same with people who need prosthetic organs to function. It doesn't make them any less alive, just because they live due to machinery. And you're no different."

Ruby's eyes were watering as she beamed another smile at the heiress and tackled her to the bed, forgetting about the board between them. "Thanks, Weiss!" Ruby was so relieved that Weiss thought of her as a person instead of a monster like she called her yesterday.

"R-Ruby! Get off of me! My chest!" Weiss panicked as the younger girl clung to her midsection and squeezed, but she let go as Weiss warned her about her wound.

"Oh, right! S-Sorry Weiss! Are you Ok?" Ruby looked over Weiss' chest and back to see if any blood was coming out of the bandages, but it seemed fine, and she didn't smell any either.

"I think so…" Weiss muttered as she checked over the bandages herself and then looked to Ruby after she sighed. "What was that? You can't just hug me whenever you want to, you know?!"

"I-I was just happy that's how you think of me! I was worried about, you know…What you said yesterday…" Ruby whispered the last phrase as low as possible, not wanting to be heard by Weiss. It was a futile attempt however.

"What I said…?" Weiss asked aloud, thinking what she meant by that, and then it clicked. "Ruby…I'm sorry for that. I shouldn't have called you a monster, I was just distressed at the information coming back to me…That night, my mother…" Weiss shook her head frantically, wanting to get to the matter at hand. "Ruby, I don't think you're a monster!" Weiss repeated, wanting to make sure the red head understood her.

"Mmh…" Ruby muttered her understanding as she nodded shakily.

"Ruby…?" Weiss was worried that she ruined partner day for her. Sighing again, Weiss thought of something to cheer her friend up and smiled. Weiss picked the checkerboard back up and set it down, followed by all of the pieces exactly where they used to be. She then continued the checkers game from where it left off, taking a piece of Ruby's. Having and eidetic memory was very useful in these situations.

The clacking of the plastic piece on the board got the leader's attention and she smiled as well, happy Weiss still wanted to play. They continued on, Weiss still having no luck at winning a game.

* * *

"Want to play again? You may win this time?" Ruby taunted, wanting to play more with her partner. Anything to get her mind off of having to confront Yang about her feelings today. There was still some nervousness about whether Yang would return her feelings, or be Ok with it at all, as Yang found out that her little sister was in love with her. _'She'll still be my sister…She wouldn't just leave me…'_ Ruby was too busy brooding to hear Weiss' reply so she was snapped out of it as Weiss nudged her side with her foot.

"Ruby, are you Ok? You zoned out? Usually I can't get you to shut-up." Weiss mocked with a smile, wanting to lighten the mood if something really was bothering her. She thought it could still be the monster thing, but Ruby seemed to be over that fairly quickly after they continued the game.

Ruby smiled at the gesture, but it didn't last long as she shook her head. "It's nothing…Do you want to play again?"

"Unless you have another game in mind?" Weiss asked, wanting to play something that Ruby wanted to play, it was only fair. She started to watch Ruby closer wondering if her last statement was genuine.

"Um, maybe…" Ruby looked at the other games around them, but was stopped as Weiss flicked her in the forehead. "Ow, hey! What was that for?" Ruby rubbed her head, with an eye squinting shut from the impact.

"Because you weren't telling me the truth, Ruby. Something is upsetting you. What is it?" Weiss glared at her teammate, waiting for a response.

"H-How did you know?" Ruby asked shocked that she was caught. She thought she played it off already.

"Something's clearly troubling you, Ruby. You smiled for all of a second before going back to moping about something. It's clear as day." Weiss said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Ruby's eyes went wider as she found she was caught for good. She couldn't just play this off anymore. "I-I…I don't want to talk about it…" Ruby muttered lowly as she looked at the board games again.

"Ruby, let me help you. You're my partner, right? And this is partner day, so I should help my partner when something is wrong. If it's something about vampires, then I promise I won't tell anyone, Ok? You have my word as a Schnee." Weiss put up her right hand like she was swearing an oath.

"I-I like someone…" Ruby admitted as she looked down at her hands, feeling like she was in a corner now.

"Come again?" Weiss tilted her head again, thinking she heard that wrong.

"I like someone at the school! Someone I shouldn't…" Ruby admitted louder, shaking now. She brushed her tears away with the back of her hand so she could see again.

"Shouldn't…? What does that mean? You can like whoever you want, Ruby. No one's going to have a problem with it." Weiss shook her head, and then smiled thinking of something funny. "Unless it's Cardin! Then we have a problem, because I'm pretty sure everyone on the planet could do better than that!"

"What?! No! Oum no! He's such a jerk! Gross, Weiss!" Ruby refuted over and over as she felt grossed out just thinking about it. Weiss was holding her sides as she laughed though.

"I'm kidding! That made you stop moping though, didn't it?" Weiss smiled at Ruby after getting over her laugh.

"Whoever it is, Ruby. You have to tell them some time. I know my situation was a bit different than yours…" Weiss was referring to Blake confessing to her after nearly dying. Not exactly when you want someone to confess to you. "…But I think that either way, even if they turn you down, it's still better than a what-if for the rest of your life."

"Yeah, everyone keeps telling me that. 'I have to try', but it's not that easy to actually do it." Ruby sulked again.

"True. I don't really have any advice for that. I'm not exactly a love guru, now am I?" They both giggled at the thought of people going to Weiss for romantic advice. "I guess I was just lucky that my feelings just burst forth without me needing to say them." Weiss muttered to herself, thinking about how she tried to kiss Blake after their first one that day in the library.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, never hearing how Blake actually learned of Weiss' feelings for her.

"I…Tried to kiss Blake in the library. It was before I figured out my feelings for her. I was confused about myself and Blake offered to help…She kissed me and I figured out that I liked her, so I tried to kiss her again and that's when she found out how I felt." Weiss smiled as she reminisced of the kiss that brought them together.

How right that kiss felt, it was indescribable. They still hadn't had a kiss that powerful yet. Not even the more heated one they had before Yang and Ruby showed up today compared to their first.

"Well, that could work for me, right?" Ruby broke Weiss out of her thoughts with her question.

"Wh-What? Oh, maybe? If you want to try that. Just remember that Blake asked me to kiss her first. Just going for it out of the blue could back fire and freak him out." Weiss explained as she recovered from her daze. Ruby never said what gender she had a crush on, so she assumed it was a man.

"Uh…Yeah. I'll keep that in mind." Ruby mumbled with a blush as she heard 'him'. _'I could tell her. Weiss doesn't really have any reason to be judgmental about what gender I like, but that would just narrow down the possibilities for her to guess who it is…'_

Ruby decided to keep quiet about it and then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Weiss allowed as it was her room. The door opened and in walked Dr. Stevens.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late! We had an earlier situation, and I got tied up." Dr. Stevens said as he checked his watch and saw he was nearly an hour late for his usual checkup with Weiss. "Ah, Weiss. I see you have a friend over to see you. Is this a bad time for your checkup?" The doctor asks as he stays at the door, ready to leave if need be.

"Not at all. I'm curious to see if I'm ready to get out of here." Weiss answered as Ruby got off of the bed and cleaned up the games so her partner could move easier.

"Well alright then." The doctor walks in after closing the door behind him, and takes a look at the monitor of the EKG machine, noticing no irregularities. "How is your chest and back feeling, Weiss?" He asks, glancing to Weiss in the bed.

"Still a little sore, but I feel much better. Why?" Weiss asked, worried that he found something that could make her stay longer than she wanted.

"Well, I don't see any problems with your condition. No nasty blood clots we have to worry about removing, and no damage to your lungs as the bullet grazed your left one, you seem in good health. You may be able to leave soon." Stevens smiled at Weiss, happy she recovered so well and quickly.

"That's good. Like, **today** , soon?" Weiss asked, getting her hopes up.

The doctor took on a thoughtful pose, his hand under his chin as he was holding his elbow with the other. "Hmm…Perhaps, but you would need someone to come check you out. A family member or guardian. I can't just let you go, as you are a minor. It's the hospital's policy. So until that wound is completely healed, or someone comes by that has the proper authority, you're going to have to remain here. I'm sorry."

Weiss got noticeably upset at the new information. _'So I'm stuck here until father-No that would never happen- until Winter comes to check me out?'_ Weiss then felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Ruby smiling at her.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it won't be too long before your family gets here to see you! They're probably worried sick about you!" The leader tried to cheer up her partner, but Weiss just looked back down with no change in her demeanor whatsoever.

"Even if that were true, Atlas is almost 2 days of plane travel away from Vale. My sister might come, but with how busy she gets with her duties, it would be a while before she has the time." Weiss said sadly, not wanting to mention how her father would almost definitely not come. _'Father is too paranoid to leave his office, let alone Atlas. He's not coming to see me…'_

"Weiss…?" Ruby muttered softly, sad to hear Weiss' family isn't like her own. She knew her father and Yang would drop everything and rush to her side if she were hurt like Weiss. _'It's not fair.'_

The only thing that stopped their father, Tai, from coming to see Yang in the infirmary was that he was, and still is, on a mission too far from the Kingdom to pick up the news. Something that he reluctantly agreed to at the behest of his daughters. He wanted to stay close to home in case something happened, but they insisted that he go out on a hunt like he used to with team STRQ. He left the day after Yang and Ruby made their way to Beacon to start school.

Ruby got no answer from her partner and the doctor spoke up again as the silence rolled on. "I'm sorry to hear that, being far away from your family must be difficult, but you seem to have good company in your friends." He gestured to Ruby with a smile, who was worried for Weiss.

"I suppose I do…" Weiss looked to where he was referring to and saw Ruby, who was starting to tear up, thinking about how alone Weiss must feel to not have her family close by like her. Weiss let out a huff of aggravation, but smiled. "Come here, you dolt." The heiress pulled Ruby into a gentle hug, wanting to stop her crying. "You're such a cry baby."

"I am not! It's just sad about your family not able to be here." Ruby then realized something. "We are though, Weiss! Your team is going to stay by your side as long as it takes for you to get out of here!" Ruby chirps, happy to keep Weiss company.

"I don't believe that will be necessary, but I'm sure she appreciates it, Miss Rose." A familiar voice calls out from the door. The occupants turn towards it and see Ozpin and Glynda standing there in the open doorway, Ozpin giving a small, but confident smile.

' _The door was closed by Dr. Stevens. How did they get in without anyone hearing them?'_ Weiss thought, puzzled and then remembered what was said about Coco being under orders from Ozpin to look after Ruby. _'Is he…?'_ Weiss' eyes widened as she put it together. Ozpin was a vampire too.

"I suppose you are here to visit her as well…Mr. and Mrs…?" The doctor asked, having never seen the two before.

"Ozpin is my name. I wish to thank you for looking after my student." The headmaster approached Stevens with a hand out to shake.

It took a moment for the doctor to process the man's words as his eyes widened in surprise, but he shook the outstretched hand nonetheless. He knew that name, and the 'my student' phrase definitely helped him reach the conclusion he thought. "Well, this is a surprise. Not every day you meet one of the most powerful men in the world! Oh! And it was no problem, just doing my job!" Stevens put his other hand at the back of his neck and rubbed it awkwardly.

"Oh, please. I'm just a headmaster at an academy, no reason to say such things." Behind Ozpin as he spoke, Glynda subtly rolled her eyes at the modesty.

"Well, what can I do for you, sir?" Dr. Stevens asks, wanting to treat such a powerful man with respect and curtesy.

"I believe that I overheard talk of Weiss being well enough to leave if she had a guardian to check her out, correct?" Ozpin asked, knowing what he heard was in fact true, due to his perfect vampire hearing.

"How did you-…?" The doctor started to ask, but was cut off by Glynda.

"Since Weiss decided to join Beacon Academy, and has signed off on it per the documentations here, headmaster Ozpin is said student's legal guardian when none others are present." Glynda held up her scroll, which was now in tablet form, and on it was Weiss' signature of the contract she agreed to when she came to Beacon to start her training as a huntress.

"If Miss Schnee is well enough to leave the hospital, then I would like to discharge her and bring her back to my school so she can continue her studies. Is this acceptable?" Ozpin asked calmly, but behind that façade was him daring the man to refute his will.

Taking another look at the scroll and then at Ruby and Weiss, who both just shrugged, Dr. Stevens relented. "It is. Let me go get the paper work for her discharge. It will just be a moment." The man stepped outside of the room, off to get the forms for Ozpin and Weiss to sign.

* * *

"You're a vampire too, aren't you?" Weiss asked of Ozpin as soon as she was certain the doctor was far enough away from the door to not hear.

Ruby looked worriedly between Weiss and Ozpin, before the man exhaled through his nose and smiled at them both.

"I see you told her?" Ozpin said as a statement more than a question, as there was no other explanation for how she knew about that. "And what if I am, Miss Schnee? How do you feel about your partner, headmistress and headmaster being these creatures that killed your mother?"

At Weiss and Ruby's surprised faces, Ozpin spoke up again. "I'm aware of what happened to your mother 6 years ago. Her killer was definitely a vampire, a rogue vampire to be exact, one that split from the Council guidance when they grew tired of the rules. Those same rules that do not allow the killing of innocent people, be they vampires or mortals. They also don't allow outsiders to know of our secret." Ozpin gave Weiss a stern look, wondering what she would choose.

"Ruby has decided to let you in on our existence, but she was only allowed that choice due to my agreeing with her that you were in danger by proxy of her as your team leader. I hope you do not plan on sharing this information with anyone else." As Ozpin finished, the room got significantly colder as his presence began to radiate a black aura. It was his shadows coalescing around him.

"N-No sir! I promise not to tell anyone of vampires!" Weiss stuttered, intimidated by the man's chilly presence. He reminded her of her father, although his intimidation came from threatening with lawsuits and blackmail. Ozpin was something else entirely.

"That's good. Well, it seems he's coming back with that paper work. Shall we discuss this later then?" Ozpin's demeanor shifted back to his normal calm and friendly one, before the door opened again and the doctor came back with paper work, none the wiser of what transpired while he was gone.

"Alright, here you are, sir." Stevens went to hand Ozpin the papers when he read the room. "What happened while I was gone?" He asked as he looked at Ruby and Weiss shivering slightly.

"Perhaps a draft?" Ozpin theorized simply as he took the papers and began to sign.

* * *

As Ruby and Weiss left the hospital with Ozpin and Glynda, they ran into Coco just outside the room, sitting in a chair looking at her scroll.

"Coco? What are you…? Oh, right. Never mind." Weiss was about to question why she was here, but then remembered that she was sent to be Ruby's bodyguard.

"I would have said hi, but I didn't want to butt in on partner's day. I've just been texting Velvet while I waited." Coco gestured with her scroll as she stood up, ready to go.

"I forgot to mention that Coco followed me and Yang here since she didn't trust me to call her before we left Beacon." Ruby crossed her arms and pouted at the mistrust.

"You were boarding the airship by the time I found you, Ruby! Just admit you forgot again!" Coco argued as they walked out.

"I admit nothing!"

"Wait a minute. Doesn't Miss Scarletina have classes right now, Coco?" Glynda asked with a sharp glare.

"Uhh….No?" Coco tried sheepishly, to no success.

"You missing classes is one thing, but don't go dragging your teammate down with you!" Glynda scolded as their teacher and headmistress.

"She started it!" Coco tried to blame it on her girlfriend, but Glynda just shook her head, not accepting that. "It's just so boring!" Coco groaned as she sagged, defeated.

"You're training to become a huntress, Coco. Not every mission will be filled with excitement and heroism." Ozpin tried to explain to her and she relented.

"Fine, let's just get on with this escort mission…" Coco let out a huff, as Ruby let out a whine at being treated as a burden. The group made their way back to Beacon Academy to see friends and continue work that still needed to be done.

* * *

 **More monochrome development! More friendship development between Weiss and Ruby! Weiss is out of the hospital now! Yay! Things happened in this chapter, didn't they. Ruby almost told Weiss about who she loved! Crazy! I wonder if Ruby's going to use the kiss technique that she learned from Weiss on Yang? That would be something, huh? :p**

 **Poor Coco, having to put up with scatterbrained Ruby all the time. At least now she won't have to worry about Ruby coming into Vale to see Weiss though, so she may get a break now. And Ozpin did his intimidation thing again. I think he gets a thrill out of being dominant, the sadist! xD**

 **Well, tell me what you thought of this chapter in the reviews! Don't forget to favorite and follow too! It helps me stay motivated when I see that people are still finding my work enjoyable. Until next update, Peace!**


	23. Lessons Learned

**Here's the second part of partner day! There will technically be a third part to it, but this is the bumblebee's side of it. The third part will be all four of the girls together. You got some fighting, some plot, an easter egg. It's a pretty obvious one, but still really cool.**

 **Now to the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 23: Lessons learned

After kissing Weiss goodbye, Blake left the room and went to catch up with her easily worked up partner. Right outside the door in a chair however, was Coco typing on her scroll.

"Coco? When did you get here…? And what are you doing out in the hallway?" Blake asks, with a brow raised slightly, confused.

"Huh? Oh, hey Blake. I came by with Ruby and Yang. Ruby forgot to text me that she was coming here, but I knew that she would be." The vampire smirked as she crossed her legs in her seat. "As for why I'm in the hallway…I heard that today was partner day for your team. So I'm sure that Weiss and Ruby want to spend time alone together to get to know each other better. I don't want to intrude."

"I'm sure they would be fine with it, Coco. Sitting out here must be pretty boring." Blake said as she decided to stop and talk to Coco instead of heading after Yang, who she was sure wasn't waiting on her anyways.

"Nah, I'm good. I have BunBun to talk to, er…Velvet." Coco gestured with her scroll that had a chain of messages between Coco and 'BunBun' going. "I don't mind, really. But you should probably catch up to Yang, she seemed pretty raring to go."

"Right. I better get going then. I'm sure this means you can't come hang out with us then either, right? Since you have to babysit Ruby?" Blake asked with a small smirk.

"Nope, gotta watch my charge! Take care Blake. Oh, and cute ears." Coco said as Blake turned to leave. A cheeky grin spread across Coco's face as Blake turned to look at her, shocked.

"W-What do you…?" Blake started to play dumb, but then she saw Coco flash her crimson eyes and she knew how the vampire knew about her being a faunus. Aside from Ruby, vampires were ridiculously perceptive apparently. Blake would have to be extra careful in the future if she wanted her heritage to remain a secret.

"You won't tell anyone, right Coco?" Blake's bow shifted to lay closer to her head, as she was caught.

"No, whatever the reason you chose to hide who you are is your business. I won't tell anyone. Velvet would kill me." They shared a laugh at the end of the tense situation as Blake turned back around to go find Yang.

"Thanks. Seeya, Coco." Blake waved as she took a jogging pace after her blonde partner.

"Whatever…" Coco waved her hand back and forth, getting back to her conversation with Velvet.

* * *

Blake met up with Yang at the airship docks as she was waiting for her at the terminal.

"Well, I'm surprised you waited for me. I thought you would be half way back to Beacon by now." Blake spoke up to Yang who had her back turned.

Turning around with a thousand gigawatt smile, Yang answered her. "Can't exactly pummel someone into the ground if they aren't there, now can I?"

"Oh? That confident, are you?" Blake gave the blonde a smirk as she crossed her arms and they walked aboard the ship that was about to take off.

"Please! You've seen Ruby in action, right? Well, I've been training with her since she was 10. I know how to handle fast opponents!" Yang stated as they took their seats.

"What about crafty opponents? Ruby may be fast, but can she trick her opponents into exposing their own weakness?" Blake asked, knowing that Ruby was good at strategy and planning, but fighting dirty and tricking your opponent was a different story. Something that Blake was a master at due to fighting opponents that were bigger and better equipped than her for most of her life.

"Uh…? I don't know, actually?" Yang thinks about her spars with her sister, trying to remember any moments in which Ruby forced her into an unwinnable situation. "Maybe? I've lost quite a few times to her. I actually think she's winning the total score…" Yang mutters the last sentence, not liking to admit defeat.

"Ruby's a better fighter than you?" Blake asked with a smirk, knowing it would get a rise out of Yang.

"I-I didn't s-say that!" Yang exclaimed, embarrassed. Her eyes then narrowed on the secret faunus. "Careful, Blake. You're poking the dragon, and that's never a good idea." Yang growled out, but couldn't cover up the small blush from imagining Ruby defeating her all those times.

Blake laughed at the angry pout her partner put on however. "Hahaha! We'll see, Yang! We'll see." Blake wiped away a tear of mirth and smiled at the still angry and flushed face of the 'dragon'. _'This is just too easy. Your anger is your weakness, Yang. You get worked up so easily. Hopefully you'll learn that.'_

* * *

The bumblebee duo made their way to Beacon and into the sparring rooms of the school. Since it was the weekend, there were only a few available to use, as most teams were working on their teamwork while they had free time.

Logging one room as theirs for another hour, Blake and Yang went to the locker rooms to get into their combat clothes and gathered their weapons for the sparring match. Entering the sizable room with a circular pit in the middle, Yang tugged on her scarf, moving it out of habit as she was getting ready to fight. Staring at the blood stain on the fabric, Yang remembered her slip up during initiation. The brawler needed to become stronger so that **that** never happened again.

Blake was already there waiting for her in the center of the ring with a smirk on her face. Seeing it made Yang grumble, already annoyed that Blake is acting so cocky before the fight.

"What's wrong, Yang? You don't look very happy to spend partner day with me?" Blake asked, wanting to get under her skin even more.

"Let's just do this already!" Yang yelled as she got into the circle and Blake backed up onto her side as they lined up facing each other.

A holographic screen above them flickered on with each of their aura levels and faces on it and an automated voice came on to address them. _**"**_ _ **Tournament rules Sparring match between Blake Belladonna**_ _**and Yang Xiao Long Are you ready?"**_ The voice rose in a computer monotone level when it established the rules set and the names of the combatants, as the rest was preprogrammed to sound more human since it was more commonly used by the system.

As they both said yes and the voice recognition picked up their presence, a countdown started.

" _ **3\. 2. 1…Begin."**_

Yang charged the faunus immediately with a flurry of blows aimed at her midsection, but none of them connected as Blake back flipped away from the blonde. To follow after her, Yang threw her arms back towards the ground and shot herself forward to catch up and continue her onslaught.

As Yang was in the air and above Blake however, the girl vanished from her grasp and Yang punched the ground. As the blonde raised up to look around, a ribbon was thrown around her neck and pulled taught, suffocating her. She clutched at it, trying to free herself, but it was too tight to get a hold of as she collapsed to one knee, choking.

"You give up yet?" Came Blake's voice from a few feet back from Yang.

Still choking, Yang gave her response through a raspy voice. "Not…Even…Close!"

Yang then decided to do something daring and gutsy, which was what she was known for. She grabbed the string that was being pulled from behind her neck and tugged as hard as she could, forward, to pull Blake off her balance. It strangled her even more, but she fought through the pain in her throat as she felt Blake suddenly give from the surprising risk. Yang quickly turned around and landed a hit on Blake's stomach as she came stumbling into the blonde.

Gritting her teeth, Blake kicked off of Yang's knee to gain some distance again, her aura absorbing most of the impact from the body shot. The faunus' aura was at the yellow line, just before orange after that direct hit. "Damn…" Blake muttered as she winced, rubbing her gut.

Taking a breath to focus again, Blake calmed down and decided to go with the ranged approach, as battling Yang in close quarters was an unnecessary risk. She transformed Gambol Shroud into the pistol form and took shots at Yang as she ran after her, trying to catch up.

The bullets were mostly a distraction though, as Yang had to dive out of the way to avoid a barrage that would surely end with her aura taking too much abuse. Yang came out of the dive in a roll and noticed Blake reloading. Seeing this, she decided to try and keep her partner on her toes, taking pot shots with her gauntlets to stop her.

It worked somewhat, as Blake had to use a shadow clone to jump away from the explosions she caused, but she still managed to reload in time and continued the torrent of bullets on Yang.

Not expecting Blake to make it out of the explosion, Yang was caught in the hail of fire and took several shots, lowering her aura to light orange now.

Figuring that she was never going to win at this rate, Yang decided to bull rush Blake, ignoring the gun fire. Yang guarded her face with her gauntlets, but made sure she could still see her target through the cracks, as she noticed Blake's eyes widen at the berserker charge. "Yaaaaa-Aaagh!"

Yang threw her right arm back and shot behind her as she closed the gap between them, but Blake jumped over Yang at the last second, kicking her in the back as she vaulted over her. Yang had too much momentum going forward to stop now that her target wasn't there and tried to stop, but came to a tumble face first, reducing her aura level even more. She was now in deep red after ignoring the bullets and taking a rough fall awkwardly.

Blake saw the smoke come up over Yang as she fell still, and glanced at the monitors. Seeing that Yang was all but defeated, Blake decided to taunt her more, not realizing the mistake she was making. "It would help if you could **land** one of those attacks, you know Yang?" Blake was smirking, but it was wiped away as a firestorm burst from Yang's last location.

"RRRAAAAAAAAARRRHHHH!" A war cry erupted from the inferno as Yang stepped out of it. Her hair was glowing and on fire, her eyes were crimson as blood. _'Red eyes…?'_ Blake thought in the back of her mind. There were more pressing matters right now though.

Yang smashed her gauntlets together and a burst of flame ignited around them as she breathed out through her nose and literal steam came rushing forth. The inferno clad woman took steady steps toward Blake who was frozen stiff. She had heard of some crazy semblances, but setting yourself on fire? It was a nightmare made reality, and she could only look on as it came for her.

Blake had to act though, she wouldn't just lay down and take it if she could still stand, so she grit her teeth and raised Gambol Shroud, shakily aiming it at Yang as the brawler took off in a sprint after her.

Yang just moved under the shots though, as they were aimed too high from the shaking hand. Blake couldn't take her eyes off of the blood red orbs staring into her being, so she never noticed the distance was closing between the two before it was too late. The fire engulfed brute knocked her weapon away as she reached the faunus and kicked her forward leg out from under her. She grabbed Blake as she fell and brought her into a head lock.

"Give." The single word brought Blake out of it, as it was uttered by her friend and partner, and not some roar from a demon that shook her very being like before. She turned her head and noticed that Yang was no longer on fire. Blake still couldn't see her eyes, as Yang was directly behind her, but after noticing that neither of them were on fire, or that Yang wasn't too hot to the touch, she figured that they would both live.

Blake delivered two taps to the ring floor and the system's voice rang out again as its sensors picked up Blake's tap-out, signaling the end of the match. _**"Match concluded. Victor, Yang Xiao Long."**_

* * *

"I guess you just couldn't handle the heat, huh?" Yang snickered at her own joke as she let go of Blake and sat down beside her on the ring floor.

"What…Was that, Yang?" Blake asked as she turned over to look up at her friend. She saw her eyes finally and they were back to their pure lilac color.

"My semblance? What else?" Yang cocked her head to the side at Blake and answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You set yourself on **fire** , as your semblance?" Blake's eyes widened after she sat up next to Yang, thinking of how much that must hurt.

"What? No! Well, yeah… It's more than that though. When I take damage I get stronger because of it. Since you had me in the red, I was able to unleash my full semblance, that's when I get all glow-y, and fire-y. It also didn't help that you were getting on my nerves, Blake. My emotional state plays a big part in it and those taunts were not helping." Yang explained, giving a pointed look at the still secret faunus.

"Eh…Sorry?" Blake shrugged with a hand rubbing the back of her head. "So the fire thing doesn't hurt you at all?"

"No, I'm actually fireproof because of my semblance. It comes in handy when dealing with red dust users." Yang boasted, a thumb pointed back into her chest.

"That is handy…" Blake mumbles to herself, before remembering the taunting Yang was complaining about. "I was actually trying to teach you a lesson by getting on your nerves, but it kind of back fired when you used your semblance and blew me away."

"And what lesson would that be?" Yang gave a mock hurt look at the insinuation that she needed to be taught a lesson.

"That your emotions are your weakness." Blake deadpanned, not buying the look for a second. "While this fight may have went in your favor, I believe that a level head would have fared much better. Honestly though, what you did just now was a prime example of this. Even though I **know for a fact** that you didn't mean to do that on purpose, and just used it because I made you furious. Saving your semblance for a last resort trump card seems to be the way to go."

"You can't prove that!" Yang yelled out with a smile on her lips as they both got up and walked over to some chairs to sit in. "You may be right, though. I should probably try and hold it back for as long as possible. I get really weak after using it for longer than a few seconds. Luckily I pinned you in two seconds flat!" Yang had a cheeky grin on her face as she rubbed it in that she beat Blake.

"Yeah, yeah…I was going to ask if you were Ok with me taunting you like I did, but I honestly don't care anymore." Blake waved it off, but her eyes snapped open as she remembered why she was beaten so easily. "Yang…About your eyes when you use your semblance…"

"What about them?" Yang asked as she also didn't care about the jabs earlier. If Yang could throw heat from time to time, she should be used to receiving heat too. Well at least, not to take it personally.

"Well, they turned red…" Blake looked around the room to make sure they were the only ones inside, then looked back to her partner. "Are you sure you're not a vampire too?"

"Pretty sure I would have noticed a craving for blood, Blake. I'm not." Yang shook her head, putting the other girl ease. "It's just another change my semblance forces on my body, like my hair catching on fire." Yang shrugged easily.

"Good point." Blake said as she got up and stretched out her back, ready for another round. "I don't think I'm ready to call it quits after one fight. Go again?" Blake had a challenging smirk on her face as she looked back to Yang who was still sitting down.

"Hell yeah! Now that we know each other's semblances, the real fights can begin!" Yang bounced up on her feet and strode over to the mat with Blake to start.

"You know, since you've been out for the first week, I just realized that you've never practiced with the team. Weiss doesn't know your semblance either, does she?" Blake asks as she steps into the ring again.

"No, I guess not? Huh, weird. Hers is glyphs though, right? Pretty sure I saw them in the initiation." Yang recalls as she puts her hands up, ready to start again.

"Yes, she said that her semblance is actually hereditary. All Schnees have that same semblance." Blake explained as she drew Gambol Shroud. The computer voice coming on in the background to announce the sparring.

"Woah, really? That's like really rare isn't it?" Yang asked of Blake, remembering learning of something like that in Signal.

"It is." Blake nodded and then said 'yes' to the voices question of if she was ready to fight.

"I can't wait to try my luck on her too. Weiss seemed pretty capable during initiation." Yang grinned at the idea before she heard the computer ask her the same question it asked of Blake. "Yes."

* * *

They fought a few more times after that. They decided after the second fight, that Blake happened to win, that since Yang was so worn out from using her semblance twice within 20 minutes they should spar without the use of their semblances. Aura didn't regenerate to 100% within 5 minutes of break time, so they decided to fight till the first hit was struck for the rest of the sparring matches that day. That way no one was seriously hurt.

After the initial surprise of Yang's semblance wore off, Blake cleaned house with the rest of the matches. Yang only won one other match besides the first that day, as Blake was faster and more agile than Yang, giving her the advantage since Yang could almost never hit her and the goal was first to hit.

Breathing heavily, the two laid on the mat spread eagle with their heads next to each other, staring up at the ceiling above them. They were smiling though. Partner day happened to start excellently so far, but the day was still young. With it only being 1:34 PM the two friends still had plenty of time to hang out before they would make further plans with the rest of their team.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into going 5 more rounds. I'm going to be so sore now." Blake groaned as she was taking deeper breaths of air.

"Hehehe…You just can't say no to **this**!" Yang beat on her chest as she chuckled, grinning from ear to ear as she heard Blake groan again at her boasting.

"Shut up and let's head back to the dorms. I've got a book to read." Blake rolled over onto her feet after slapping Yang on the top of her head.

"What? But we still have so much time for partner day? Don't you want to…I don't know? Spend it doing something we can both do? Reading a book isn't exactly a 2 person activity." Yang finished as she rose up after her partner, bringing up a good point.

"Well, I'm open to suggestions. Do you have anything in mind?" Blake turned to the blonde who had an evil grin spreading on her face after she asked for an idea.

* * *

"This was not what I had in mind…" Blake muttered, staring at the TV in the living room of their dorm room. Blake didn't bother keeping up with TV shows, they never interested her like books did.

Yang dragged her back to the dorm room without uttering another word until they sat down on the couch. Every time Blake asked what this was about, she just replied with, 'only the greatest thing ever' or 'wait and see' and continued dragging her along.

"Oh, come on! I figured that this would be perfect for both of us. I love this show and you like books, which happens to be what this show is based off of. It's a book series adaptation!"

"What book series?" Blake asked as she turned to the blonde, who was on the couch with her, slightly curious now.

"I forget the name of the books, but the show is called 'A Dance of Blades and Claws'. It's about a world in medieval times. It has monsters and kings and so many great characters to get to know. The only bad thing is that they tend to kill off a lot of characters each season, so don't get too attached!" Yang goes into explaining her all-time favorite show as she sets up her scroll to play the first episode.

Blake's eyes widened at the title of the show, because she recognized the name. The show and book series apparently shared the same title and she had been wanting to start reading it, but was currently on the 'Ninjas of Love' series so she didn't really have the time to read it. Watching was a different story though, and especially if she could have someone to talk to about it with Yang. Even when she was in the White Fang, she didn't have anyone around that enjoyed the same **literature** as her, so if Yang was also interested in this story perhaps they could find a common hobby through this.

"Oh yeah, and fair warning. This show gets pretty graphic. Nudity, gore…You name it, this show probably has it." Yang said twirling a lock of her hair, nervously, hoping that it didn't bother Blake of the potentially raunchy show. If Yang only knew how pointless that worry was…

"T-That's fine. I can give it a shot, I guess." Blake stuttered, blushing as she tried to act like the idea didn't excite her, but creep her out. Inside though, she was like Ruby when Weiss allowed her extra cookies for dinner.

"Ok, cool. Just wanted to make sure. I'm sure Weiss would flip if she saw this stuff." Yang laughed as she picked up the remote and hit play.

"Right…" Blake mumbled as she watched the show start with a young man fighting a middle aged man in a sword fight. The boy looked to be concentrating hard, but the man had a small smile on his face, not necessarily arrogant, more like he was proud of his opponent for the concentration.

"The sword fighting is actually pretty good in this show." Blake commented, a little surprised that it was made so well.

"I know right? The actors were actually trained by huntsman to make it seem more realistic! The show just gets better and better as it goes on! It's awesome!" Yang gushed as they watched the older man disarm the boy and raise his sword to his throat, claiming victory.

The older man smirked and lowered his sword, congratulating the boy for a good round of sparring. The boy smiled up at the man and picked up his sword, wanting to go again. After some expositional scenes to learn about who the characters were and what was going on currently, the show moved on to a bedroom scene. The younger boy from before and another girl not much older than him were making out on the bed, but Blake reached for the remote and paused it.

"Wait, wait, wait! Aren't they brother and sister? Or did I get that wrong?" Blake asked, staring at Yang for answers.

Yang shrunk in on herself, looking guilty. "Uhm…Yeah…They are…B-But only half siblings! The boy's mother is different from his sister's." Yang explained weakly, trying to defend the show, so that Blake would hopefully keep watching with her.

"That's not really better, though Yang." Blake shook her head, but let out a breath as she thought about it. _'I've read much worse though…'_ Blake then smiled at the blonde, not deterred. "It's just fictional though, so it's not a deal breaker for me, just a little weird."

"Ok. I can deal with that." Yang put up her hands, trying to calm Blake from dismissing the show. "This show gets pretty controversial over time, so be warned for more stuff like that. I promise though, this show is da bomb!"

"I'm sure." Blake hit play again and they continued to watch the episode…Then the next and the next, until it got to a scene with enslaved people who were mistreated. It reminded Blake of her own people and how she still hadn't told Yang about herself. The rest of her team knew, Coco knew, and she was sure that Velvet was bound to know as well. "…It is partner day…" Blake muttered to herself.

Picking something up that she couldn't quite hear, Yang paused the scene and turned to Blake. "Did you say something?"

"Uh, yeah…Yang? What do you think of the White Fang?" Blake asked quietly, hoping it wasn't too bad.

"They're a bunch of ass holes! Stealing dust and even hurting people! How could people think they fight for equality when all they are doing is spreading more violence!?" Yang was worked up when she heard the name. The name of the organization that was most certainly working with Cinder to take Ruby or worse. They may have once been peaceful protesters, but to Yang it didn't matter. Anyone who would try and hurt Ruby would receive nothing less than a few missing teeth and a shiner.

Yang didn't notice how Blake got quiet at first, but then she thought about why Blake suddenly asked such a question. "Blake? What's the matter?"

Blake looked up to Yang from her lap with tears pooling in her eyes. "So does that mean you hate me too?"

"Blake…" Yang slowly asked out, confused as to where this was coming from. _'Why would I…?'_ Realization hit her in the gut and she shook her head. "No…Blake, you can't…You can't be…"

Sniffling, Blake undid her bow for Yang to see the secret she kept. "I'm sorry…I should have told you sooner, but it's not that easy to tell people about who I really am."

Yang's knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists tight, staring at the kitty ears atop her partner's head. "Why are you telling me this now?" The blonde got out through gritted teeth, managing to hold back her venom.

"Because I want to explain to you that I'm not with them anymore! I quit the White Fang before enrolling here. I ran. What they were doing wasn't what I wanted, so I ran. Please, Yang! If I was still with the White Fang, would I be dating Weiss? A **Schnee**? I love her! I didn't know what to do with myself when Weiss was shot! How could I be with an organization that wants to kill my girlfriend?" Blake pleads and explains her case, not wanting to lose who she considered her first friend at Beacon.

"Does she know? Or are you keeping this a secret from your girlfriend too?" Yang accused. This time, a little venom made its way into her words as she was getting more upset.

"She knows! Ruby does too! They believe in me, Yang. Please give me a chance! That's all I ask!" Blake shakes, scared that Yang would hate her for being a terrorist.

"Ruby…Knows? Why didn't she tell me?" Yang is taken aback by the information, surprised that Ruby didn't tell Yang like she tells her everything else.

"I-I made her promise not to tell you! O-Or anyone! I wanted to be the one to tell you, Yang." Blake looked down sadly.

"Blake…" Yang mutters softly, wanting to stop her gibbering mess of a partner.

"Y-Yes?" Blake looked back up to Yang, worried that she told her too late.

"I'll trust you…" Yang pulled Blake into a hug as Blake gasped in surprise. "I'll trust you for Ruby's sake…" Blake started to hug back, but Yang pulled back to glare at her partner. "…But if you hurt my sister in **any way** , I won't stop at a pin the next time I unleash my semblance on you."

At seeing Blake gulp in her nervousness and nod several times, Yang returned to the hug, letting Blake rest her head on her shoulder. Blake snuggled into Yang as she felt that familiar warmth again. Then the main dorm door opened, grabbing their attention.

* * *

The group of 3 students and 2 teachers/headmasters headed to Ozpin's office to gain some privacy for the impending conversation. As the elevator 'dinged', the group stepped out and gathered around the glass desk in the back of the room, Ozpin and Glynda behind the desk as the 3 other students pulled up some chairs to get comfortable.

"So…" Ozpin started as he steepled his fingers in front of his face as he stared at Weiss closely. "I'm sure you're wondering who exactly we are. We…" The headmaster gestured to himself and Glynda beside him. "…Are teachers and protectors of this world, just like you thought before. Although, we have a secondary job. Making sure that other members of our kind stay out of trouble…And out of sight." The bespectacled man glanced at Ruby with an amused smile, causing her to let out an 'eep', and shrinking in on herself for being outed.

Getting serious, Ozpin's smile vanished as he looked back to Weiss. "As you may know by now, Ruby is being hunted by the same person that took her mother's life 5 years ago. Her name is Cinder, and she's a rogue vampire like the one that killed your mother…" Weiss began to speak up after Ozpin stopped, but as he raised his hand to stop her, she did and he continued.

"They are not the same person, I assure you. Cinder was with me during the time of your mother's death. She was once a good person, but that changed as she became more arrogant with her powers. She turned her back on my warnings about emotions and how dangerous they can be for a vampire. It eventually led to her deserting the Council's watch and wreaking havoc around Vale." Ozpin sighed at the memories of Cinder before she turned into what she was today.

"No, the one who killed your mother was someone who used to be based in Atlas as a member of the Council. They were a powerful member and very well respected of the other's. I believe your father actually wrote his name in his report as a witness." Ozpin spoke, looking at Weiss.

"My father?" Weiss wondered as she thought back. "Schatten!" Weiss remembered what her father shouted that night and that he even wrote in the report that the person was Schatten. She thought it was strange that her father would refer to the killer as a shadow instead of giving an actual name, but she realized he really did give a name to the murderer. That meant that her father knew of Schatten though.

"Precisely. When Schatten went rogue, we almost lost the majority of our members due to a splitting, but thankfully Summer, Ruby's mother, was there to help me maintain order within the Council, along with Glynda, James, and Abendrot. He still managed to gain followers, but his power play was stopped and the Council still remains. Ever since then I believe he still plans to take down the Council."

"Wait a minute! Doesn't that mean that Cinder and this Schatten guy could be working together? What if we're up against both of them?" Ruby asks worried about taking on 2 master vampires instead of just 1.

"It's possible that they keep in touch, but we have no reports of any other rogue vampires within Vale. I also believe that Schatten is based within Atlas, as that was the area he was most familiar with as a member of the Council. He's a smart strategist and would know that you don't invade your enemy's base before first conquering your own." Ozpin says on good authority.

"Has any progress been made on catching him?" Weiss asked, wanting to put a stop to the murderer of her mother.

"I'm afraid not. He's been laying low ever since his attack on your mother. We don't know what he's waiting for, or why he killed you mother, but we will find out eventually Weiss, I promise." Ozpin said sincerely to the heiress.

"I understand…Is there anything else sir? I think I could use some proper rest in my dorm." Weiss said, tired for the day. It was still relatively early, only 4:41 PM, but partner day with Ruby and all the things that occurred afterwards had her drained. She still hadn't eaten all day and she missed Blake so she was itching to get back to the dorm.

"We can talk more with your whole team tomorrow. Just know that you're safe here Weiss, and we will help you in any way we can. Now go ahead and get some rest, it is the weekend after all." Ozpin smiled at the three and they took their leave, thanking him.

* * *

Coco, Ruby, and Weiss walked towards the first and second year dorms together not talking much, but Coco tugged on Ruby's cape to pull her back slightly away from the heiress and whisper to her. "Hey, Ruby. You're going to tell Yang today, right? You said on partner day and it's almost up. You better hurry."

Ruby blushed as she heard her friend talking about such things. "Y-Yeah…I will when we get to the dorms and have some privacy. Why?" Ruby whispered back.

"Because, I don't want you to chicken out and lose your chance with her. She's quite a catch, Ruby. I wouldn't be surprised if someone else wasn't already interested in her. Just hurry up before you lose your chance, Yang may not wait forever." Coco whispered back so the heiress in front of them wouldn't hear the conversation.

Ruby sighed, knowing Coco was right about it. _'Yang's not like that though. She only does harmless flirting with people…At least, I don't think she's had a boyfriend or girlfriend…'_ Ruby got upset as she thought of Yang with someone else.

Shaking her head, Ruby continued to think about it as they entered the building. _'I'm around her most of the time though. I think I would have noticed someone giving her an interested look…'_

After they made it to the second floor and said goodbye to Coco, it hit Ruby. _'Blake…All those times she was smiling and blushing at Yang…No! I was just imagining things! Besides, she's with Weiss now. She doesn't like Yang like that! I'm just being paranoid!'_ Ruby shook her head rapidly and it got Weiss' attention as they turned on their hallway.

"Ruby? You Ok?" The heiress stopped in front of Ruby to see if she was alright.

"W-What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine…Just tired I guess. Same as you." Ruby smiled at Weiss, wanting to move on from the topic.

Weiss furrowed her brow as she stared at Ruby, wondering about something. She then shook her head and smiled at the red head. "Don't worry about it, Ruby. We're going to be fine. We can handle a few vampires right?" Weiss thought she was worried about the pressing matters of the two vampires that hurt their families, not seeing that she was so far from correct.

"Uh-Oh, yeah. You're right, Weiss. We can handle it." Ruby goes along with it as she continues on to their dorm. Weiss followed behind, happy to help her leader.

Ruby was far from being alright though. She kept thinking about the reactions of Blake around her sister and it made more and more sense every time she thought about it. Blake liked her sister. The only thing that didn't add up with the idea was Blake and Weiss being together. _'Blake's already with someone, I have nothing to worry about…'_ Ruby finished the thought as she opened the door to their dorm room and saw the bumblebee duo on the couch together. Blake's face in the crook of Yang's neck, deep in each other's embrace.

* * *

 **Oh shit! Things are finally happening! Is Ruby going to go crazy jealous on Blake for touching her girl? Could be! Don't forget that Weiss is also there and had already expressed tendencies for jealousy towards Blake's feelings for Yang. Ruby and Weiss might tag team her ass, you never know! xD**

 **The whole team now knows about both Ruby's secret and Blake's secret now. The only one left is the slight incestuous secret. That seems pretty close to coming out though too. I know, I know, cliffhangers again! But if I didn't do that then where is all the intensity going? It's better this way, trust me!**

 **Now I'm accepting all guesses as to what Cinder's and Schatten's relationship is. Are they working together? Are they completely random vampires of chaos? I like hearing theories, so don't think I don't care about your ideas. It could also give me future ideas for the story as well. So please review and tell me how I did. Peace!**


	24. Reversal

**I've got you fam! I didn't want to wait too long before getting this chapter out, since it has been cliffhanger after cliffhanger with this story, lately. So here it is! This title, as do a lot for this story, has a double meaning. You'll figure it out after reading, I'm sure. Anyways...**

 **I'm a little surprised that no one had anything to say about the TV show that Blake and Yang watched together. Was it not obvious enough? Or do not as many people watch Game of Thrones as I thought? Cause that was clearly GoT inspired. Oh well, onto the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 24: Reversal

Ruby and Weiss walked into their dorm, seeing Blake and Yang on the couch. The blonde having pulled Blake into a caring embrace with the faunus' face buried into her neck. Seeing them like that, Ruby wasn't able to accept it. Clenching her eyes shut, the red head let out a sad whimper before she turned and ran back out into the hallway, not caring where her feet took her. _'Wh-What else were they doing during partner day? Y-Yang why?'_

After seeing her sister take off like a rocket with tears trailing her, Yang called out for her, but it was useless. Looking at Weiss, who was just as stunned as her, she asked for answers as to why her sister would be crying. "Weiss, what happened? Was partner day really that bad?" Yang made a bad joke with no humor in her voice, as it was mainly to calm herself down from the thought that Ruby was hurting.

"I have no idea! She seemed upset about something while coming up here, but wouldn't tell me anything about it. She wasn't crying until just now, I swear!" Weiss put up her hands defensively, as the brawler got up and rushed towards her. Weiss shut her eyes, thinking that Yang was angry with her, but felt the rush of wind go past her as Yang fled through the doorway, most likely going after her sister.

* * *

As Weiss and Blake were left alone, the heiress closed the door, locking it this time, letting out a huff of relief before she looked at Blake with an unamused glare and crosses her arms. At seeing Weiss' look, Blake starts to apologize for seeming so close to Yang. "Weiss it wasn't wh-…"

The heiress rushed over to her girlfriend on the couch and silenced her with a kiss. Pulling back from her lips, Weiss still held the same look though. "You're an idiot." Weiss then hugged Blake, laying her head on her shoulder.

"Wh-What?" To say Blake was confused was an understatement. Weiss not only kissed her, but now she's hugging her as well?

"If that had been anyone else walking into our dorm, they would have seen you!" Weiss spoke as she lifted her head up to stare into Blake's eyes. "You still want to keep **that** a secret, don't you?" Weiss flicked her on the forehead, looking up to Blake's cat ears as she said 'that'.

"You-You mean you're not mad?" Blake asked, worried that Weiss would become the jealous type like the last person she was with.

"About what? I'm not an idiot, Blake! I could tell that you told her about your secret. Why else would your ears be on display?" Weiss said as she picked up the bow that was left on the floor and handed it to her girlfriend.

Since Blake was still processing what was going on, Weiss decided to interrupt her with another question. "So how did it go? It seemed like she took it well?"

Blake looked up from the ribbon to Weiss and nodded as she took the string, shaking off her surprise to answer her. "S-She did. Um…Not at first, as she kinda thought I was a White Fang spy, but after I told her that both you and Ruby knew already, she seemed to accept it." Blake finally smiled, thinking about how trusting Yang is of her sister. "Yang seems to really trust her sister's judgement."

"Yeah, blindly it seems. Ruby is pretty easy to fool, I don't see how Yang does it." Weiss jokes, smiling at Blake as they make fun of the other pair. Her eyes then drift higher to the top of the faunus' head, absentmindedly.

"I see what you mean." Blake laughs, but then sees Weiss' eyes on her cat ears and wiggles them around, causing the heiress to blush at the cuteness. The blush multiplies in intensity as she looks at Blake again and notices the knowing smirk.

Sputtering an apology, Weiss tries to back pedal out of trouble. "I-I'm sorry! I just-…" Weiss' eyes widen at what she was about to say as she cuts herself off, looking at her hands in her lap.

"You just what?" Blake asks curiously, not defensively. She puts the ribbon to the side as she keeps her eyes on Weiss.

"Nothing! I-It was nothing!" Weiss shakes her head, not daring to look at Blake's face or anything around the top of her head.

"I think it was something." Blake states sarcastically as she knows already. She then pulls the white haired girl into a sideways hug with both of her arms around her. She rests her head on Weiss' shoulder as she smiles comfortably.

"I'm sorry, Blake." Weiss mutters sadly as she fiddles with her own hands nervously. The tone of voice takes Blake's smile off her face as her ears flatten themselves against the top of her head. "I-It was rude to stare."

Taking a moment to think about what she's going to say, Blake lets out a soft sigh as she starts. "Generally, you would be right…" The truth makes Weiss sulk further down, thinking she hurt Blake's feelings. "…But I know that you weren't looking because it freaks you out, or you thought they were gross. You like them don't you?" Blake makes them flick upwards again, wanting to hear Weiss' opinion, as she raises her head to look at Weiss.

"O-Of course, Blake! They're a part of you! How could I not like them?" Weiss clamps her mouth shut as the admission escapes and she blushes again.

As Weiss face palms and groans into her hands, Blake chuckles at her embarrassment as she lays her head back down on the heiress' shoulder. "Thank you, Weiss. I needed to hear that."

Comfortable silence takes over as Weiss finally relaxes and sits back with Blake on her shoulder. Weiss smiles as she rubs Blake's right arm wrapped around her stomach, getting used to the closeness. Her smile fades as it is replaced with another blush. "Blake?" Weiss asks softly.

"Hmm…?" Blake hums out, too comfortable to actually speak.

Weiss hesitates, shaking her head to dispel the idea. "It's nothing, never mind."

Blake opens her eyes and looks up to Weiss, wondering what she's thinking about. "What is it, Weiss?"

Weiss meets eyes with Blake and her blush intensifies as she begins again. "C-Can I…?" Weiss looks away sadly, thinking she was going to hurt Blake's feelings. "Forget it."

"Weiss, can you what?" Blake cocks her head to the side, thinking of what Weiss could be asking for that would make her so embarrassed or nervous.

Weiss sees Blake's ears flick out of the corner of her eyes and she shyly looks away. Noticing the reaction, Blake closes her eyes and smiles, finally getting it. "You want to touch them."

Weiss' eyes snap up at the comment, even more nervous now that Blake knew. "I-I-I don't know what you mean! I n-never said that!"

"You didn't have to, Weiss. It was obvious." Blake notices Weiss inwardly berate herself for being so careless and grabs her hand to hold her attention. "Weiss, I'm not offended. I know you care about me and you don't think of me as an animal. Just like I don't think you're some racist bigot." The faunus lays her head back down on Weiss' shoulder as she continues. "I actually think it's kind of…Flattering that you like my ears."

Weiss looks at the top of the head that's against her shoulder and gulps. "D-Does that mean you're Ok with it? F-For me to touch them?" Weiss' hands open and close as she debates whether or not she should.

At the words, Blake's eyes open again as she smirks to herself. "If you want…I trust you, Weiss. Just be careful. They're sensitive."

Getting permission, Weiss steadily reached out with her left hand to touch the furry appendage. As she made contact, she could tell just how soft it really was. It felt like the purest silk against her fingers as she rubbed the base. Blake leaned into the touch, wanting more as Weiss gave it to her.

Weiss drifted her hand downwards, leading Blake to lay her head on her lap and curl up into herself. Both of them were smiling while they enjoyed the moment together. Weiss put her right hand on Blake's arm and shoulder, rubbing it with her thumb as she kept caressing her feline ears with the other hand. The room was filled with a comfortable silence, until it was broken by a rumbling coming from Weiss' lap.

Her stomach actually, as Weiss was still hungry and her body didn't want her to forget. Blake's eyes snapped open and she raised her head to stare at Weiss with a blank expression. That expression changed into one of humor though, as she saw Weiss blush and look away from her in a pout.

Blake giggled at Weiss' embarrassment, but got off the couch, still smiling. "Hungry?" Blake asked, teasing her girlfriend.

"Y-Yes…Obviously." Weiss continued to pout as Blake knelt down and took Weiss' foot so she could slip on Weiss' combat heels for her. "B-Blake! What are y-you doing?!"

"Getting your shoes back on so we can go get something to eat. Why?" Blake asked as she slipped on the last one and buckled it for the heiress.

"I can p-put on my own shoes, you know?" Weiss didn't like to be treated like she was helpless.

It didn't faze Blake however. "I don't doubt that, but there's nothing wrong with letting someone treat you nicely every once in a while, right?" The faunus stood back up and offered her hand to Weiss.

Weiss relented as she accepted the hand and stood up, reaching over to the ribbon still on the couch, and picked it up. "Well then, let me return the kindness…" Weiss muttered as she gestured for Blake to let her tie the ribbon back on for her.

Blake smiled at her and nodded, leaning down for Weiss to reach easier. Weiss gave one more scratch at Blake's ear as she smiled at them. "I really do like your ears, Blake." As Blake gave out a hum of content at the scratching, Weiss re-tied the ribbon to cover up her ears so they could keep her secret while out.

"There. How is that? Too tight?" Weiss asked as she finished tying the bow around the ears.

Blake encircled her arms around Weiss' waist to pull close. "It's perfect." Blake gave Weiss a gentle but loving kiss as thanks, and as she opened her eyes, Blake smiled as Weiss leaned in for more and chuckled. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of that."

Weiss opened her eyes slowly and smiled back. "I hope you don't."

"Hmm…" Blake hummed out in amusement as she thought about their plans. "…So where should we go eat?"

As they walked to the door, Weiss spoke. "I'm fine with wherever, but what about Ruby and Yang. Are you sure we should just leave without saying anything to them?" As soon as she got that out, the door opened again.

* * *

Yang ran out into the hallway, chasing after her sister, and noticed a trail of rose petals leading to the stairwell. _'That has to be her! Big sis is coming, Ruby!'_ Yang followed the trail in hopes that she could cheer up her sister from whatever made her so hurt in the first place.

Making it onto the roof, Yang slammed the door open and glanced around for her sister. She spotted a cloak of red in a ball near the corner of the roof. "Ruby! What happened?" Yang ran over to comfort her sister, not noticing the flinch from the caped leader at her voice.

Yang knelt down in front of Ruby and reached out to grab her shoulders, but Ruby sank further in on herself as she continued to cry into her knees pulled up to her chest. "Ruby. Talk to me, please?"

"Y-Yang…I'm sorry." Ruby whined out as she sobbed through the words.

"Why? You didn't do anything, Rubes. C'mere, it's Ok, sis." Yang made to wrap her arms around Ruby in a hug, but the red head jerked back, getting away from it.

"No! I can't, Yang. I don't want to get in the way." Ruby mumbles out as she sniffles sadly.

"Ruby, you're not making any sense. I just want to help you." Yang tries again to bring Ruby into a hug. This time, the red head accepts it and clings tightly to Yang's body.

"Then don't leave me! I don't want you to forget about me because you like Blake!" Ruby yells painfully, as she thinks her worst fears are being realized. That Yang doesn't love her the same way.

Yang was shocked, but also a little bit happy that Ruby seemed jealous of her and Blake's 'relationship'. Getting back to the here and now, Yang looks at her sister again. "Ruby, why do you think that?"

"Wh-what?" Ruby whimpers out, not understanding as she continues to cry.

"I don't like Blake like that. She's my partner and a friend, that's it. Besides, Blake is with Weiss anyways." Yang smiles at her little sister, hoping that helped clear things up.

"B-But you had all day together, and we caught you two at the end, hugging. It didn't look like just a friendly hug to me!" Ruby snarled at the end, not wanting to be tricked by the lie. _'I know what I saw! B-Blake was kissing her n-neck…That's my spot…'_ As Ruby thought that, she blushed crimson at the possessive undertones, looking back down.

Interrupting her from her thoughts, Yang explained as best she could. With teasing. "Well, we're hugging right now, aren't we? Are we together?" Yang smiled as she was just joking, but that changed as Ruby answered immediately.

"Wh-What?! No, of course not!" Ruby was blushing even brighter as she felt that pang in her chest again. She didn't realize that her sister too, felt that same feeling at the harsh words.

Yang pushed it down though, like so many other times before, and put on a fake smile. "I'm just messing with you Ruby. Sorry."

At the words, Ruby looked up to her sister's eyes and noticed that the smile was a broken façade. Easily readable, even by Ruby, whom everyone thinks is clueless. "Yang? Are you Ok?"

Yang's eyes widened at being caught as she stared at her sister in her arms. To say that she was nervous was an understatement. Yang was terrified that she was caught in such a lie. It was just too painful to put up a proper defense against her sister. That Ruby would reject the thought of them being together, practically instantly. It felt like Ruby stung her in the heart with a hundred needles.

Letting out a sigh as she thought about what to say, Yang answered Ruby. "I haven't been for a while…" Yang muttered sadly as Ruby was horrified that her sister was so troubled with something for so long and never noticed. "…But I think I know how to make it better." Yang smiled at Ruby, this time, genuine. _'It's now or never…'_

"Ruby, as I said before, I don't like Blake like that. I've never liked anyone like that…Except one person." Yang gave a squeeze to Ruby in her arms to cheer her up as Ruby looked down, thinking that Yang really did like someone else.

"They're brave, good in a fight, **very** pretty, and also a little hyper…" At seeing that Ruby hasn't caught on yet, and was still sulking, Yang cupped her sister's cheek and looked directly into her shining silver eyes as she blushed, thinking about what she was about to do. "Ruby…It's you." The blonde brought Ruby in for a soft kiss that only lasted a moment, but was elated as she pulled back and noticed Ruby's reaction.

Ruby's brain was fried. She was so sure that Yang was in love with someone else and lost her chance to be with her sister, but as those soft lips met her own, everything exploded. She couldn't help the stupid grin on her face as she deeply enjoyed the tender kiss, but couldn't quite process what happened. _'Did…D-Did Yang just…Kiss me?!'_

Ruby shook her head to get her gears turning again, and noticed that Yang was still right in front of her. Yang's face, only inches away from her own as she smiled at her younger sister's blushing.

"Was it that good of a kiss?" Yang teases the red head, truly happy that Ruby wasn't backing away, disgusted with what happened.

Ruby looked away from Yang's lilac orbs so she could do something other than sit there looking dumb, but happy. She nodded shakily as her answer, absolutely sure that it was good enough to render her speechless.

Her older sister didn't expect an actual answer, so she was a little embarrassed that she received one so positive, causing her to blush pink, but smile wider at Ruby.

"Th-…That was my first kiss…" Ruby mumbled out to herself with a hand on her lips, as she thought about how it felt. "It was so warm too…" Ruby was amazed that such a simple act like putting two lips together could cause such a warm feeling to a vampire such as her.

"That was my first kiss too, Ruby…" Yang smiles at Ruby's blush as she realized that she said those things out loud and buried her face in her hands. Yang then looks down at her, sadly. "Is that Ok? That I'm your first kiss?"

Ruby looks up, shocked at how sad Yang's voice sounded. "Of course it's Ok! I wouldn't want it to be with anyone else…" Ruby pokes her fingers together as she mumbles out the last part.

"Really?!" Yang chirped out as she hugged her sister, so happy that Ruby wanted the kiss. _'But if she wanted the kiss, then that means…'_ "Ruby, do you know how you feel for me…? If you like me…More than a sister?" Yang asks, worried that Ruby is still too young to understand what all this means.

"I do, Yang." Ruby mumbled as she didn't know how to continue to explain. "I was...Trying to push away my feelings for you at first, but after we came to Beacon…The thought of losing you...I just couldn't take it anymore! I l-love you, Yang!" Ruby snuggled further into Yang's warm embrace, relishing in the feeling that only Yang can bring her.

"I've been so worried that you would think less of me for liking you like that. It was so difficult to try and bring up the courage to ask you how you felt for me. I'm sorry! I'm such an idiot for taking so long!" Yang cried tears of joy as she heard her sister's confession, clinging to Ruby as they both cried happily that they finally told one another.

"I was scared too! I kept making excuses as to why I couldn't tell you, until Coco made me promise to ask you today. But I guess you beat me to it." Ruby said, smiling that it all worked out Ok anyways.

"Coco knew? And she helped you?" Yang asked, and at receiving nods into her chest, Yang continued. "Remind me to thank her for helping us. I didn't know she cared so much." The blonde kissed Ruby on the top of the head a few times before holding her tight again, loving no more restrictions on how she holds Ruby anymore, now that they were together. _'Although…'_

"Mmmh…" Ruby let out a hum of acceptance as she also hugged tighter and sat in Yang's lap, wrapping her legs around her sister's waist.

Yang smiled and tucked her head down next to Ruby's ear to whisper to her. "You know, we haven't made this official yet…Ruby, will you go out with me?"

Ruby shivered at the soft voice in her ear and opened her eyes to look at her sister. "Y-Yes…I will if you want to?" Ruby asks awkwardly, never having had to respond to someone courting her. It's not that people didn't try, Yang just didn't let them get anywhere close to her precious sister.

"Of course I want to. I asked, didn't I?" Yang kisses her on the cheek and smiles at her again. "Then maybe we can go next weekend? I would like to tomorrow, but I'm going to flunk this school if I don't get started on my homework soon. That, and Weiss would probably kill me for bringing down the team average so low." Yang puts on a cheeky smile, acting foolish and it makes her new girlfriend giggle. The sound makes Yang's heart race as she found what she has been after for 5 long years.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. No reason why we can't have fun without a date though, right?" Ruby suggests as she smiles at Yang.

Yang however, looks like she saw a ghost as she looked to Ruby, strangely. "What…What uh, did you ha-have in mind?" Yang stutters through as she gets nervous about what she thinks Ruby is suggesting. Her throat goes dry, staring at Ruby as she was wrapped tightly around her waist.

"I don't know? I figured you would know more about couple stuff then me…" Ruby muttered lowly, embarrassed as she took her arms back and twiddled her thumbs together.

Yang lets out a sigh of relief as Ruby didn't know how that phrase could be construed. "I may know a little bit more…But I'm also new to this as well, Ruby. You are right though, we can do stuff outside of going on dates. Like cuddles!" Yang shouts as she pulls Ruby closer again, causing the younger girl to let out an 'eep' at the motion.

Yang laughs as Ruby pouts for a moment before smiling as well, and accepting the cuddling. They fall into silence as they continue to enjoy the moment together, before Yang hears rhythmic breathing below her. She looks down at her sister's face to check on her and notices that Ruby is indeed asleep again.

"Ha…Figures…It's just like that first night here at Beacon. Only now we really are together instead of me just wishing for it…" Yang rubs circles into Ruby's back and kisses her on the head again as she breathes in her leaders scent. "It's always strawberries or cookies with you…" Yang grins at her sister, lovingly. "I love you, Ruby. I always will." Yang whispers into the red heads ear, not worried to admit it anymore.

She gently picks up her sister, still attached to her waist, and carries her to their dorm room. She pulls on the door, but notices it's locked this time. Pulling out her scroll, she scans it and it clicks as the door unlocks. She opens the door to see Weiss and Blake right on the other side, staring at her cargo.

* * *

"Uhm…Hey guys?" Yang chuckles at the awkward situation of her sister tied around her waist.

"Is everything alright with Ruby? She looks…peaceful now." Blake wonders as she stares at her leader's face.

"She is…We'll explain it tomorrow, but right now, I should get her to bed." Yang says as she walks in, the other two letting her by without a problem.

"Ok, well we were about to go get something to eat. Would you like to tag along? Probably just going to the cafeteria, since it would be dark by the time we would even get to Vale." Blake asked, since she knew that Yang hadn't had anything to eat today either.

"No thanks. I'm going to stay with Ruby in case she wakes up. I can get something tomorrow." Yang explains as she walks into the hallway to their rooms.

"Well alright! We'll be going then! You sure you don't want us to pick something up for you and-…For you?" Weiss says just loud enough for her teammate to hear her in the other room, as she catches herself at the end, almost asking if Ruby wanted something as well.

"Yeah, I guess so! I'll eat it tomorrow though! And Ruby won't need anything, Weiss. Don't worry! Good night you two!" Yang whisper-yells back, not wanting to wake Ruby up, as she gets the bedroom door open and closes it behind her as she steps in.

The other two teammates of team RWBY wished Yang and Ruby a good night as well, as they left the dorms to go pick up some food, wondering what happened to the sisters.

In the R and Y room, Yang brings Ruby to the red covered bed and lays down on it. Ruby, still attached to Yang, didn't let go of her warm, soft, and bouncy pillow as it tried to get away. Smiling at her sister, Yang relented easily, and snuggled with Ruby in her arms, pulling the covers over them as they slept in their clothes since **someone** didn't want to let go.

* * *

Yesterday, Friday, after Coco and Ruby returned to Weiss' hospital room with food, a faunus made their way back to base.

"You summoned us?" Adam asked, as he looked to Cinder across the table with Scarlett at his side. They were in the same meeting room of that abandoned warehouse from before, but this time it was just the three of them.

"I did not, actually. I summoned her, not you, Adam." Cinder glared as her eyes flickered a glowing crimson. "Leave us."

Adam didn't expect that and it was written on his face as he clenched his fists at being ordered around by her again. He relented though, and gave a worried look at Scarlett for her to be careful, as he walked past her to the door.

As the door closed, Cinder's eyes snapped to Scarlett's, through the beaked Grimm mask, and smirked. "Tell me…Have you recovered the identity of the Rose yet?"

"Yes, ma'am. I overheard a conversation between her and one of her classmates. It was difficult to concentrate with that many people to listen to, but I'm sure I heard her friend. She called the target 'Ruby' twice. That's definitely her name." Scarlett answered as she was referring to the food run Ruby and Coco went off on.

"That's excellent! Any other information on the target?" Cinder asks curiously, after getting excited to finally know her targets name. _'Ruby, huh? It will feel so amazing to tarnish that little gem, Summer. I hope you'll be watching…'_

"I believe so ma'am, thanks to my hearing, I picked up on a conversation about her having feelings for someone. I may be wrong, but what are the chances that she has, and likes, her sister?"

Cinder's eyes widened at the question. She never thought that there could be two Roses. Reigning her excitement in, she looked back at the faunus scout. "Do you know what she looks like?"

"If she was the same girl…I believe she has wild blonde hair and was very 'bouncy'. I thought she was just her teammate though, I didn't hear their conversation on the way to the hospital enough to tell you anything more. Too many distractions." Scarlett informed as she thought about who she saw walking with Ruby to the hospital the first time that day.

"Coward…" Cinder muttered, but the Ocelot faunus picked it up.

"Ma'am?"

"Oh, I think I know who this second person is, thanks to your description. She's the daughter of a coward and a deserter. They were on the same team with Summer and good friends if I recall. This girl isn't actually related to Ruby though, but if she sees her as her sister and also lover...This is wonderful news, indeed!" Cinder chuckles dangerously, before looking back to Scarlett. Remembering the real reason as to why she called this girl here.

"You did well, my dear. But tell me…Just how devoted to the White Fang cause are you my little star?" Cinder spoke as she circled the table slowly approaching the other woman.

"Completely." Scarlett spoke without an ounce of hesitance in her voice.

"You would give your life for faunus equality?" Cinder asked, with her velvety voice as she got closer.

"Yes! We deserve better than being treated like animals!" Scarlett boomed as she kept her eyes forward, Cinder moving behind her.

"That sounds pretty clear to me…" Cinder whispered into her left ear, before sinking her fangs into her neck and wrapping her arms around her, so she couldn't get away.

Scarlett whimpered out as the blood was pulled from her body slowly, but as she gave up and let it happen, the fangs in her neck went deeper and Cinder took larger gulps. She tried to collapse to her knees, as she grew weaker, but Cinder didn't allow that as she held her back up to keep drinking. Black creeped into the faunus' vision as she felt so weak she would faint, and she did.

Cinder didn't stop however. Merely drinking her blood was not what she had in mind when she asked those questions of her. She drained her dry until there was nothing left and Scarlett fell to the floor, lifeless.

* * *

The thud from the meeting room got Adam's attention as he opened the door to see what was happening to his best scout. He listened in on every word of the meeting and knew enough to assume that Cinder was taking her blood, but he never expected she would take her life.

Seeing Scarlett on the floor and already growing pale from no blood coursing through her, Adam glared at Cinder as she licked her lips clean and smiled to herself. "What did you do?!" As Adam yelled, he pulled out his sword and raised it to strike down the monster, but suddenly he couldn't move his hands anymore. He looked up and they were bound by shimmering black masses of tendrils. He followed the source and they ended at Cinder's feet.

"Oh, Adam. Have a little faith. Why would I randomly kill one of my best subordinates?" Cinder approached him and cupped his cheek, knowing he couldn't fight back.

He recoiled away from her touch and looked at her with contempt. "Cause you're a crazy bitch! That's wh-Gaagh…!" Adam didn't get to speak anymore as he was ran through with one of the tendrils, not in a vital area to kill him, but enough to shut him up.

" **Don't call me CRAZY!** " Cinder shouted in his face, her eyes staying red as her temper was unleashed. She was breathing raggidly now that she was so worked up. The anger in her face and voice, palpable. She wanted to end him so badly she could taste it, but that was not part of the plan, yet.

Taking the time to calm down, Cinder pulled her tendril out of his leg and the shadowy appendage soaked up the excess blood. "She is dead, but not for long, Adam." Cinder got out through gritted teeth as she pushed back the urge to kill this man.

Realizing that she was answering the reason why she did what she did, Adam looked back down to Scarlett, thinking maybe she was going to be alright. At seeing her unmoving body, he looked back up to the vampire, wondering what she meant. As her smirk reached his eyes, he knew what she meant.

"You turned her?! Why?!" Adam still struggled as Cinder never let go of his hands above his head.

"I don't know why you are so worried. She agreed to it, Adam." Cinder's smirk remained as Adam grunted out, trying to get loose.

"She did not! She had no idea what you were doing to her!"

"She said she would give her 'life' for the White Fang, so that is what she did. Keep up this resistance, and I'll have her feed on you until the transformation is complete. And believe me, Adam, it's not as easy as it sounds." Cinder threatened the bull faunus with something he didn't know of too well, but Cinder never bluffed with a threat. So he relented, lowering his head, defeated.

The man looked at Scarlett's lifeless body again, worried and angry. _'What am I going to do now?'_

As if to answer his question, Cinder speaks up again. "Since **Ruby Rose's** identity is now confirmed, thanks to Scarlett's good work, your new assignment will be to watch her when she wakes. Make sure she doesn't kill anyone important, will you?"

Adam thought the idea was ridiculous, that Scarlett, his most loyal operative within the White Fang, would kill someone without being directed to in the first place. He then thought about how unhinged Cinder was as a vampire and feared that he just lost his best pawn since Blake left. Adam glared again at Cinder, cursing her for undermining his means of control over his own forces.

She just smirked though, happy that he figured it out. "I will use you and the White Fang as I see fit, Adam Taurus. **Don't** test me again."

Before he could respond, Cinder smashed his face into the wall and it was lights out for him. Cinder left the two in the room as she walked out, humming to herself. She had other things to attend to.

* * *

 **Damn, that bitch is crazy! Told you! So now Scarlett is becoming a vampire, that will be interesting. But not as interesting as what else happened in this chapter...Ruby and Yang are together finally! Hurray! Ruby just needed to have a complete break down to get Yang's attention, and Ruby needed to finally notice that Yang hasn't been doing so well for about 5 years! Yang's really good at hiding it after so long is why it took Ruby so long to notice. But now that doesn't matter since they are together! Woo!**

 **Now we can move on to better things, since the main couple is formed. Don't forget to favorite and follow! And please review and tell me how I did. These romantic scenes were really hard to write and I would like to know how I did! Peace!**


	25. Firsts

**Hey, everyone! I know it's been a while. About 2 weeks since the last chapter I think. But things happened, you know how it is. First of all, I have said that my actual (job) work will pick up soon, and it sorta already has. I say sorta, because it's fluctuating right now. We do jobs when there are jobs to do. It's not a constant, steady type of work that I do, so some weeks will be busier than others. Secondly, this is not the only story I update. I spent those two weeks working on said story. The 3rd chapter of The Best Pieces. I originally had a different 3rd chapter posted for it, and that was what took so long to write, but I took it down as I didn't like the finished product. A lot of wasted effort and time, and no one is more angry about it than I am, trust me. But I wrote a new one after that and it's posted now, giving me time to work on this baby!**

 **So here it is! "Chapter 25: Firsts"** **No, this is not about sex. :p I really like the double meaning behind the title though, because it's about two different groups of people experiencing a first of their own. Fun, fun!**

 **Enjoy! Oh, and more information at the bottom A/n! Not too important, but you still may want to hear it. :p**

* * *

Chapter 25: Firsts

Weiss and Blake headed out of their dorm door, after saying goodbye to Yang who just got back with Ruby in tow, and walked downstairs. There they bumped into Granite and Opal at the front desk, talking.

Noticing them, Granite looks at them with a smile and waves politely. "Hey you two! Nice night, huh?"

Opal turns around to face the pair and smiles too. "Greetings. I'm sorry about the other day. I was a little…Flustered at the situation. I don't usually do that kind of thing in public…" Opal slapped Granite in the stomach softly and sent him a glare. "…You can think him for the display. He promised me no one was around. Apparently not."

"It was an honest mistake! Come on, you just got back from a mission and I missed you! Cut me some slack will ya?" Granite pleaded with a smile, half serious by the end.

Interrupting the lovers spat, Blake spoke to the couple across the counter. "It's not a big deal. It's nice to meet you, Opal. My name's Blake Belladonna, a first year." The cat faunus announced as she stuck out her hand to shake for the blonde next to Granite.

Accepting the hand with a smile, Opal answers back. "My name's Opal Snowraven. A senior and the partner and girlfriend to him somehow." Opal gestures to Granite with her thumb and a sly smile.

"You know you love me." Granite interjected with a smile back.

" **Somehow**." Opal repeated with a laugh and a smirk as she leaned into his side.

Clearing her throat to stop the couple from going any further, Weiss spoke up. "I'm Weiss Schnee. Also a first year and Blake's… teammate. It's nice to officially meet you, Opal. Last time our leader was in a hurry to see her sister so we couldn't stay long." Weiss also stuck out her hand and smiled to the blonde, being friendly.

At her name, Opal looked at Weiss curiously then took her hand to shake it uneasily. "So you're the heiress? Not quite what I expected, but I'm sure we can get along. I have to say though, I'm not a very big fan of your father's decisions."

Weiss sighed, figuring that that must have been why she seemed hesitant. "I understand. I don't agree with them either, but I'm not like him, not in the slightest." Weiss smiles as she looks to Blake from the corner of her eye and the faunus girl smiles back, noticing.

She wasn't the only one to notice however, as the other couple were right in front of Weiss, they would have been blind to not see Weiss' eyes shift to the side.

"What's going on here?" Granite asked with a smile, intrigued to know what that look meant.

Weiss blushed pink at being caught and Blake face palmed at the obvious look Weiss used. "N-Nothing! What do you mean?"

"Right…So we both just imagined that look you gave your friend?" Granite asked, not buying it.

"We're together." Blake spoke, no longer seeing any point in denying it as Weiss made it pretty obvious.

"Blake?!" Weiss shrieked out, appalled that she would admit it so easily when they were keeping their relationship a secret from everyone else but JNPR and RWBY.

"Weiss they already knew something was up by your look. There was no coming back from that. I'm sure we can trust them to keep a secret, right?" Blake explains, as she looks at Opal and Granite, wondering if they could be trusted.

"Why are you keeping your relationship a secret?" Granite asks, receiving an elbow to the side from his partner.

"She's the heiress to the SDC and her father is not a very 'progressive' person. No offense." Opal stops to apologize to Weiss.

"None taken…" Weiss mumbles, embarrassed at the situation of being caught.

"I don't think his views on same sex couples is a very good one." Opal continues as she looks at the monochrome couple. "You have nothing to worry about though, we won't tell anyone. Not even our other teammates. Leadia's a bit of a blabber mouth when it comes to secrets so we promise not to mention it to them, right?" Opal glances back at Granite wanting to make sure he understood as well.

"Right. Your secret's safe with us. So where are you two headed anyways?" Granite asks, curious since it was past dusk.

"Oh, just getting something to eat. We haven't had anything all day, so we're pretty hungry." Weiss explains, happier that the slip-up wasn't the end of her existence like she thought it was going to be.

"Maybe you and Ruby didn't eat anything today, but Yang and I got pizza after sparring. It was pretty good." Blake said, remembering ordering it after the first episode of that show the two of them watched together.

"So you're going out on a date? Opal and I just got back from ours! We went to this awesome place on the eastern side of Vale. Their steak is out of this world! I totally recommend the place. It's called "Everything at Steak". Clearly it's their specialty, but they sure know how to prepare it." Granite suggested, just wanting to help the two young lovers.

While he was talking, Weiss blushed at the realization that Granite was right. She and Blake were going out to eat together, with no one else. What else could it be besides a date? "W-We were just going to go to the cafeteria to get some food. I-I don't know if I would classify it as a date, per se."

"Oh, well maybe next time you're in Vale you could give it a try. Maybe we could even double date sometime? We don't have many friends that are couples, not yet anyways…" Granite gives Opal a knowing look and she matches it, knowing exactly what he's talking about.

"That seems alright to me. Weiss?" Blake answers before looking at her girlfriend for her opinion on the invitation.

"Huh?" Weiss looked up to Blake from her thoughts and snapped out of it. "O-Oh, um…Maybe. Sorry, I just don't know if I'll feel comfortable with that…"

"Oh no! That's totally fine!" Granite waves his arms, trying to calm down the heiress. "It was just an idea. We don't know each other that well, so that's understandable, but hey the offer still stands any time." The man smiles at the couple, not feeling the least bit hurt.

"Thank you. We should probably get going now. Weiss' stomach sounded like an angry bear earlier." Blake joked with a smirk on her face.

"Blake?!" That snapped the white haired girl out of her thoughts as she heard her girlfriend embarrassing her.

The girl in question just snickered at the pale girl's unusually red face. "Lighten up, Weiss. So you were hungry, it happens to everyone. No sense blowing a fuse over something so trivial. It was cute anyways." Blake said as she took Weiss' hand and she led her to the exit.

Mumbling and muttering her uncomfortableness, Weiss was interrupted from her brooding by the hand over her own from the faunus girl next to her. The white haired girl let out a soft sigh as she relaxed her hand in the grip, and accepted the tease thanks to the warm gesture. Being called cute again by Blake might have had something to do with it as well.

Saying their goodbyes, the younger couple left the building and made their way to the cafeteria that was pretty much open around the clock due to some teams getting off missions at random times.

* * *

As they walked through the gargantuan double doors of the hall, the monochrome couple noticed that students and staff were still there enjoying dinner. Though it wasn't too crowded in the cafeteria since the majority of the faculty were still out enjoying the last few hours of their weekend.

"What do you think you're going to get?" Blake asks Weiss as they approach the back of the room where the chefs and ingredients of today's menu are out on display.

"Good question. What about you?" Weiss asks back as they take in the smell of freshly cooked food.

Before Blake can answer, a short, brunet woman from behind the counter starts to talk to them. "Good evening. We're serving pasta today, so pick out what ingredients you want and what type of pasta to go with it when you're ready. I'll get it ready for you."

"Will do." Blake answers as she looks over the seafood section of ingredients, Weiss also thinking about what she wants to put in her meal. They knew the way this worked by now.

In front of them was a counter of ingredients of different noodles, sauces, and main ingredients for them to combine to make their pasta dinner.

"We also are picking up some food for a teammate, but they won't be eating until tomorrow. Do you have any breakfast food ideas?" Weiss asks, remembering Yang went to sleep with Ruby without eating.

"Uuuum…Not currently. I could whip up some eggs and bacon I suppose, if that's alright? It will take a few minutes though." The chef behind the counter informed as she waited for them to decide what they wanted.

"That would be great, thank you. Sorry for the trouble." Weiss apologizes for the extra work, not wanting to be a bother.

"It's no trouble. I'm happy to help our future protectors. It's a brave thing you all go through, so I'm happy to help make sure you're at least eating well!" The lady says with a smile on her face.

"Well in that case, I'll have ravioli with lobster and white sauce please." Weiss smiles back, happy that the chef is not some mean old lunch lady.

"Good choice. And you?" The brunet asks of Blake as she prepares Weiss' meal.

"I think I'll have Salmon and shrimp Alfredo please." Blake says with needy eyes, catching herself before she started to salivate from the fish and shrimp aroma wafting into her face.

"I'll have it ready right after your friends'." The chef announces as she continues to make Weiss' dish right in front of them.

"Thank you!" Blake almost praises as she keeps her eyes on the fish in front of her.

Stifling a giggle at her girlfriend's reaction, Weiss speaks up. "Where should we sit, Blake?"

Being snapped out of watching her 'prey', Blake looked back to Weiss and then back to the hall behind them to look for a spot. She then got an idea, since she also knew that this could be considered their first actual date, and smiled at Weiss. "I have an idea…" Blake looked at the chef, a smile still on her face. "…Any chance we could come back later for our teammate's food? We're going somewhere else to eat, if that's Ok?"

"Sure. I'll make that later when you get back. Let me finish this up and I'll put your meals in To-Go boxes for you two." The nice lady says as she starts on making Blake's pasta dish.

"Thanks again." Blake says as she feels a nudge on her arm and turns to face Weiss who was looking at her curiously.

"What's going on? Where are we going?"

"I figured we could go somewhere more private to enjoy our meal in peace. I found this place the first day I arrived at Beacon. You'll love it, trust me." Blake smiles, but hesitates to take her hand as they were out in public with students around them. Her bow sags on her head a little as she leaves her hand at her side, not wanting to oust them as a couple.

Seeing this, Weiss gets her attention as she grabs her hand and blocks the view of the rest of the cafeteria with her body as she gets closer. She squeezes Blake's hand to reassure her with a smile and then lets go, putting some space between them after she sees Blake smile back.

"See, I can cheer you up too." Weiss whispers, glad to know it had the desired effect on her secret girlfriend.

"You're a natural." Blake whispers back whimsically, referring to when Weiss was envious of Blake's 'mastery' of dating.

After receiving their food and thanking the chef one last time, the secret couple head out of the cafeteria, Blake leading the way.

* * *

"This way." Blake said as she brought Weiss to a secluded area behind some shrubbery on campus.

"Blake. What is this place?" Weiss asked as she squeezed past the bushes into an open, clear area.

"I don't know, but it's nice and quiet. It must have been used as a secret spot for someone a while ago, because look at this." Blake pointed at an old wooden table under a tree in the middle of the clearing.

The clearing was completely surrounded by tall bushes, blocking off sight from the rest of the school yard. A tall tree was in the center of the clearing, providing shade over the bench if necessary for a hot day.

"Someone must have brought this table here, but it hasn't been used in a long time it seems." Blake turned back around to Weiss and smiled, taking her hands after setting down their food on the table. "I thought this place would be perfect for us while we keep things a secret. We don't have to hide anything back here, so why not use it as our first date location?"

"Date?" Weiss' eyes widened as she realized why Blake brought her out here.

"I did promise to take you on a date this weekend when you were better, didn't I?" Blake smirked, as Weiss got embarrassed, and gestured for them both to take a seat at the table and eat.

Overcoming her initial nervousness, Weiss speaks up as she goes to her side of the table, across from Blake. "Well this place is beautiful." The heiress looks up and sees the stars in the sky through the leaves in the tree as she starts to sit down.

"Wait!" Blake calls out with a hand extended to warn Weiss and she freezes. Blake moves over to her side and flicks something off the table where Weiss was about to put her hand. "A spider was right there. I got it." Blake mumbles awkwardly.

"Oh, thanks." Weiss giggles at Blake's attempt at chivalry.

"Just…Wanting to keep you safe." Blake mutters, embarrassed at the outburst over something so simple.

Weiss chuckles lightly at the blush. "My hero. Oh, what ever would I have done if you didn't warn me?" Weiss praises sarcastically, amused as Blake gets more embarrassed.

Noticing her reaction, Weiss reaches over the table to grab Blake's hand and her attention. "Sorry. I now know what you meant about it being cute to see someone blush though." Weiss smiles, wanting Blake to do the same.

It works as the faunus girl shakes off the blush and smiles back. "Look at you, firing back with your own teasing. I was afraid that I was going to have to tone it down if you never shot back."

They both giggle at the joke and then lock eyes for a few beats, still holding hands in the silent clearing. Nothing but chirping insects to listen to as they enjoy the peace together.

It was broken though, as Weiss looks away and coughs into her hand, embarrassed by the intimate, private moment. "M-Maybe we could try the food now? Don't want it to get cold…"

"Y-Yeah, good idea." Blake agrees as she also held an unnoticeable pink blush on her face in the dark. _'What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be so easily flustered like this…'_

Blake's thoughts are stopped as she follows Weiss' lead and opens her box to take in the smell of her meal. She couldn't help but lick her lips as her appetite was successfully tempted. Weiss' reaction was tamer, but she was still looking forward to tasting the only food she had all day.

As they sampled their dishes, they both let out groans of delight as it tasted exactly how they thought it would.

"This is so good! Even the food back home barely compares to this." Weiss exclaims as she continues to enjoy her meal.

"You're so right. I wasn't even that hungry and I still can't stop!" Blake gets out quickly, in between bites of her seafood pasta.

* * *

Having finished their meal without stopping to chat once, the couple put their temporary cutlery down and sigh in delight.

"That was amazing." Blake breathes out as she holds her stomach.

"I'll say. I couldn't eat another bite! Maybe if it was more of that, I could, though." Weiss laughs until it causes her to let out a burp and she covers her mouth in horror.

She looks at Blake in fear of screwing up their first date. Blake looks back to her, surprised that the prim and proper heiress would do something so unladylike, and bursts out laughing.

As soon as Weiss realized her reaction was not a mocking one, she breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, happy that she wasn't dealing with some rich pompous fool, like her father might set her up with.

"Weiss! I can't believe that actually happened!" Blake wipes away a tear of laughter before continuing. "I'm so glad you're more relaxed around me. I hope you know you don't need to be so restrained when it's just us alone together. I prefer you to be yourself. It's so much more fun."

As Blake finishes, she gets up and walks to the other side of the table and offers Weiss a hand with a smile.

"I'm glad you think so. I was really nervous about how you would react. Those types of things were frowned upon by my father and the rest of the people he surrounded himself with." Weiss took the offered hand and got up with Blake. "Just don't expect that to happen too often. It was just a slip-up, Blake." The heiress said as she laced her fingers with her girlfriends' and they walked out from under the big tree.

"I would never dream of it." Blake whispered as she glanced up at the stars, getting an idea. "Lay down with me." Blake said as she looked at Weiss with a small smile.

"What?" Weiss was understandably puzzled as they were in a small field of grass and wild flowers.

"Have you ever been star gazing?" Blake asked as she glanced back up at the sky, showing Weiss what she meant.

"Sometimes…My sister and I would sneak out to one another's balconies and look up at the stars together…" The dust mage smiles at the memories, before looking at Blake. "What about you?" Weiss asks as they sit down together, the white haired girl leaning on Blake's side as she waits for her answer.

The faunus girl leans back on her hands as she kisses Weiss on the head. "My father used to take me hunting on the weekends, when he could find the time. The trips doubled as camping trips as well, so we slept under the stars together. It was just us there, you know? My father was a pretty busy person too, so when we did actually spend time together, it was always something I looked forward to."

Blake wrapped an arm around Weiss and leaned all the way down so they were on their backs together, looking up at the stars as the white haired girl laid her head on Blake's arm, snuggling into her armpit as she wrapped an arm around Blake's waist.

"What does your father do? Pretty sure you already know what mine does…" Weiss asked in a soft tone, not wanting to ruin the moment.

"He…He was once the leader of the White Fang actually…" Blake felt Weiss shift beside her, most likely shocked by the revelation. In order to fix it, Blake continued explaining, hoping to clear up the misunderstanding. "He stepped down after the majority of the members started to turn violent though. He wanted no part of it since no one wanted to listen to reason…" Blake trailed off in a sad voice as she thought about how she was one of those people. _'I'm sorry…'_

"I'm sorry…" Blake was snapped out of her sad thoughts as Weiss whispered to her.

"Why?"

"I didn't mean to bring up such a sore spot. This is supposed to be a happy moment, just about us, and here I am making you talk about things you would probably rather not even think about…" Weiss mumbles, thinking she was ruining the perfect date they had going.

Weiss feels the arm around her tighten up a bit, and a pair of lips on her head again. "What was that for?" The heiress asks as she looks up at Blake.

"Because you're so sweet, worrying about me." Blake giggles softly as a blush dusts across Weiss' cheeks. "I'm alright Weiss. We all have something that we carry around with us that we aren't proud of. That's life. I'm just glad that I have someone next to me that will help me carry it when it becomes too heavy…And the same goes for you."

"Blake…" Weiss breathes out as she leans in to capture the girl's lips. The white haired girl cups Blake's cheek as they drift off into a passionate, but slow burning kiss together.

* * *

"Blake…" Weiss pulls back, out of breath and now on top of Blake, before they go any further. This was starting to eat away at her after their conversation with Granite and Opal. "I…I wanted to explain why I want to keep our relationship a secret…I-It's not because I'm embarrassed of being seen with you! I just-…" The heiress was cut off with another kiss to her lips from the black haired girl below her.

"Opal was right, wasn't she?" Blake asked with a small smile, not hurt in the slightest.

It takes but a moment for Weiss to figure out what Blake was talking about, but once she does she nods shakily, leaning to the side to sit up next to Blake. "Y-Yes. I'm scared of what my father might do if he finds out about us. He's not someone you want to upset. My father is a cunning and ruthless person when he wants to be. I don't want anything to happen to you because of me…"

Blake gives out a sigh and sits up with Weiss, as she realizes that her girlfriend is completely serious. "I figured it was something like that…When you mentioned that your father had something to do with your scar, I felt as though not even his own daughter was safe from how badly he treats people."

"Blake, i-it's not like that! He didn't do this to me, personally…" Weiss closes her eyes as she traces over the scar of her left eye, remembering that night. Her right eye opens back up as she feels another hand over hers, cupping the left side of her face and eye. The heiress notices Blake smiling warmly at her as the faunus rubs her thumb over the marred area.

"What happened, Weiss?"

Taking a deep breath, Weiss closes her eyes to prepare herself to talk about her father. Her feelings had been mixed ever since she discovered that he was telling the truth about seeing a vampire kill her mother. It didn't excuse him for what he put her and her sister through, but it was more understandable after seeing all of the people around you think you were crazy.

"I was 15. My sister, 20. She had enlisted with the Atlas military that year and my father was understandably not happy about it." Weiss shook her head as she went over the back story.

"There was nothing he could do though. For all the power he lorded over people, it did nothing against the higher ups of the Atlas government and military. He wasn't foolish to think that he could fight a war against a Kingdom, so after Winter enlisted there was nothing that he could do as she was a legal adult."

"You would think him to be angry about it, to feel betrayed…And he was, but he was also torn up inside. I caught him crying one time in his study. He had been drinking heavily, but I still saw the tears as he covered his face at his desk." Weiss looked at Blake with a melancholic expression.

"I think he was sad that he was losing us, his family. First his wife is murdered, then his first daughter signs up to join the military? I can't imagine how terrified he must have been for Winter. I know I was…At the time, I didn't think much of him crying, because that was when my father started to truly slip. He buried himself in his work, never leaving his office unless it was to check up on our training progress." Blake gave Weiss' hand a reassuring squeeze for her to continue if she wanted to.

"My father started to amplify me and my sister's training regimens to make sure we could take care of ourselves. Originally, he only had me focus on academic studies, preparing me to run the company with some light fencing practice on the side. After my mother's death though, that changed as he was obsessed with both of us being able to defend ourselves." Weiss cleared her throat as she was getting to the point of the matter.

"The night that Winter left Schnee manor for good, my father activated a new 'sparring partner' for me to train with…The thing was a giant suit of armor, with an equally big sword, powered by dust, just as fast as it was tall. Frankly, I'm amazed that I beat it without a worse scar…" Weiss said as she brushed her left eye again. She then felt Blake's hands on her shoulders and they tightened almost uncomfortably.

"Weiss, I thought you said he wasn't responsible? He attacked and hurt you! Whether it was through a machine or not, doesn't matter!" Blake shouts, thinking that Weiss was still clinging to the hope that her father wasn't really as evil as everyone makes him out to be.

"I never said that!" Weiss interrupts to get her girlfriend's attention. "He did have the giant knight attack me, and there's no excusing putting your own daughter in peril just to make them stronger, but it was a dark time for him. After learning that vampires are real, I can't help but feel like my father felt so isolated from everyone thinking that he was crazy. He just wanted to keep his last remaining daughter around by making her stronger…Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but he's still my father. I have to at least hold out hope that he's not a monster like everyone says he is…"

"Weiss…" Blake gets out as she hugs the heiress. "…I hope you're right. I really hope you're right."

"Me too..." Weiss mumbles into Blake's shoulder as she hugs back.

Deep down, Blake knew though. It didn't matter how damaged the Schnee patriarch was, he was still a racist and a tyrant with his company. The whole world's view can't lie about that. He may have had a good reason to put her in danger, but he could have ended up killing his own daughter because of his decision. As far as Blake was concerned, he didn't deserve Weiss' hope in him.

"Come on, it's getting late. We should head back." Blake says after a few more minutes enjoying each other's company. She then glances at her scroll and sees that it's almost 11 P.M.

"Ok…" Weiss mutters feeling like her story brought the date to a horrible ending.

Blake notices, but doesn't say anything as she takes Weiss' hand and pulls her up with a smile. "Just a small trip back to the cafeteria, then we can go back to the dorm, Ok?"

"Fine, let's just hurry." Weiss gets out, finding it odd that Blake isn't the least bit saddened by the end of the date that went poorly by the end. _'Did I miss something?'_

* * *

After picking up the food from the same nice chef, they head back out, on their way to the dorm, as Blake stops Weiss, who was carrying the plate.

"What is it?" Weiss asks, as there was nothing but a pathway ahead of them.

Blake smiles, walking behind her after looking around to make sure no one was around. She then abruptly picks up Weiss bridal style, and starts to carry her to their dorm room, keeping a faunus eye out for anyone approaching in the darkness.

"B-Blake?! What are you doing?!" Weiss struggles about, not understanding what Blake was trying to do.

"Shhh…Calm down, Weiss. I saw the way you looked after our talk and I didn't want our date to end on a sour note, sooo~…"

"So you thought to carry me to the dorms, like some kind of damsel in distress?" Weiss whispered unbelieving that this is what Blake came up with.

"Well, it's romantic, isn't it? And you are technically injured, so I thought it was appropriate…Was it a bad idea?" Blake asks nervously, thinking that maybe her novels weren't the best source of romantic ideas after all.

"You're…Such an idiot…Wh-What if we get spotted?" Weiss slowly mutters as she starts to get comfortable in Blake's arms, before realizing that they are still out in public, even if it is late.

"Faunus vision, remember? I'll spot anyone approaching well before they see us." Blake happily explains as she notices Weiss growing content with the idea.

"I…Guess this could work…" Weiss mumbles as she lays her head against Blake's chest and listens to her heartbeat rhythmically pull her from consciousness.

Blake smiles down on her girlfriend as she knows she saved their first date, and kisses her softly on the head as she continues down the path. They run into very few people on the way back, no one that Blake couldn't get away from with her shadow clones anyways, and they make it back to the dorm with no surprises.

After finagling the plate of eggs and bacon in the fridge for Yang while still carrying Weiss, Blake carried her precious cargo to their room and set her down on the heiress' own bed. As Weiss rolled over on her bed, Blake got an idea that she was pretty sure Weiss wouldn't have a problem with.

Going over to her closet without turning on the lights, she slipped out of her clothes and into her yukata for bed. Blake then slid in under the covers, behind Weiss, and wrapped her arm around her as she held the small girl close, enjoying the serene moment with the girl she loves in her embrace.

* * *

That same night, someone had just awakened from a very deep sleep. Her body felt like it was melting as the skin was being peeled off her flesh at the same time. All she could do was twist and howl in pain on the floor as the agony didn't stop no matter how badly she wanted it to.

Her screaming must have gotten someone's attention, because suddenly a bright light entered the room, as a door was opened and there was a voice.

She couldn't understand what they were saying, but they got closer as she writhed on the ground of the small dark room. As she felt the person grab her, her eyes opened and everything started to clear. All she could hear was his pulse though, as her eyes locked onto his neck.

"Are you Ok, now? Should I go get someone else? Adam didn't say what else to do once you woke up besides check on you…" The man started to say, but she couldn't care less at the moment, as the burning started to return.

It felt different this time, though. Like it was caused by something else entirely. She started to twitch as she felt herself gain control of her limbs again. They felt unbelievably stiff at first, but now she could move them with simple ease as everything started to slow down. He was still speaking about something, but she still payed no attention to it as a hunger started to seep it's way into her brain.

"Hu-Hungry…" The girl croaked out, as if her throat was in desperate need of fluids. "…Th-Thirsty…"

Before the man could even respond to get her what he thought she needed, she felt the unbearable desire to attack him…So she did.

As the man's screaming reached outside the room, the door was shut and locked by the two guards stationed there. They flinched and shivered as they could still hear the roaring and yelling from the other room behind them. What sounded like tearing, and then slamming, as they felt the metal door between them creek from an impact against it. The screams immediately died out after the slam, but there was still noises coming from inside. They were even more sickening then the initial ones were, as they sounded like gurgles separated by chomps and war cries that froze them to their very core. The disturbing noises continued for a while longer, until silence took over and one of the guards left the post, as ordered by the one he went to go inform.

"Adam. She's awake, and…She's… **Done** , with him." The guard said hesitantly, as he found the 'true' White Fang leader in a small office.

"I understand…Keep me updated for when she starts back up. This is far from the last time it will happen." Adam instructs. _'Just how long will this continue, Cinder?'_ The man thought angrily, as the she-devil never gave him a specific time length for Scarlett's 'recuperation'.

He just hoped that once it was over, she would be in a better mindset then Cinder is…

* * *

 **Well there you go! Weiss and Blake's first date, and Scarlett's first kill as a vampire! Anyone else get the feeling that Scarlett is going to end up like Cinder? I hope not. This world couldn't handle that much crazy! xD**

 **That poor no name that Scarlett killed brutally. Cinder told Adam to not let her kill anyone important, and I suppose that's one way of doing it. :p Oh, and if you think that there's a chance that Scarlett just created another vampire, think again. It's hard to create a vampire, when there's nothing left of the body...That scene was just as gory as it sounded. He was in pieces by the end of it.**

 **When I started writing for this story, after updating The Best Pieces a few days ago, I actually started on the next chapter after this one, because I was originally going to skip over Blake and Weiss' night as I didn't even think about how that 'food run' could classify as a date. But when I did think about it, I realized that that would be their first date! I can't gloss over that! So I stopped writing that chapter and started this one. I was about 2000 words into 'chapter 26' before I started writing this one. So the next update should come relatively fast, considering.**

 **Also, we're about to be getting more screen time with the baddies for a few chapters. Not a lot, but kinda like this one was. A small...update on what they're doing, if you will. Like Where Merc and Em are currently, as well as more check ups with Scarlett. Like Adam said, that's far from the last time.**

 **So favorite, follow, and review please! I really liked how this chapter came out. I feel like I'm giving Monochrome more screen time than Enabler though. Hopefully that will change in the following chapters now that they are a couple as well. Anyways, peace!**


	26. Group Study

**Hey all! Next chapter is here. This one features the lovable sisters this time, as well as Weiss and Blake. While the title may sound like this is about them studying for school, I'm obviously not going to write an 8k chapter about school stuff. That's a terrible idea. I mean, they do study, but I don't write it out. Instead, this is about a few things. The most important being if Ruby and Yang tell the rest of the team about their real relationship. More vampire stuff is also explained though, so that's nice.**

 **Let's get started shall we?**

* * *

Chapter 26: Group Study

Ruby wakes up with warmth surrounding her. Not opposed to this, she snuggles further towards the cause. As she buries her face in a crevice, she takes in the faint scent of familiar blood and her eyes open to see what it is.

An orange scarf, stained red with blood. Her sister's blood that still remains on the fabric from the initiation.

Ruby's throat goes dry as she is tempted by the aroma of Yang's blood. As she opens her mouth though, a voice catches her attention.

"Ruby, you awake?" Yang asks in a tired, but sweet voice. The arms around Ruby shift and Yang lowers her head to look at her sister with a morning smile.

Ruby closes her mouth and blushes at the close proximity of the blonde. She gets out a slow nod then lays her head back down on the pillow below her, smiling softly in return. The blush however, comes back in full force as Yang leans down and kisses her on the cheek.

"Wh-What was th-that for?" The caped girl asks, not used to the open affection.

"Because I could." Yang explains easily. "It was just a kiss good morning for my girlfriend."

"Yang!" Ruby latches on to her sister in glee and she rolls on top of her, rubbing her head into the blonde below her. "We're girlfriends!"

Yang chuckles at her sister's reaction and holds her close. "Well you're certainly happy this morning. What? Did you forget what happened last night?"

Ruby looked up at Yang quickly to answer as fast as possible. "No! I just…Can't believe it's real…" Ruby looked back down after mumbling with a small smile on her face. "…It finally happened…And you accept me! It's just…Too good to be true." Ruby shakes her head in wonder, only to be pulled out of it with a hand to her chin, bringing her attention to the girl under her.

"Well it **is** true, Ruby. If it wasn't…Would I do this?" Yang captures Ruby's lips and holds her cheek to deepen the kiss.

Ruby's eyes widen in disbelief as their lips connect, but she slowly melts into it and closes her eyes, savoring the moment as a joyful tear slips its way out of the corner of her eye. _'It really is happening…'_

Their moment was brought to a halt though, as a knock on their door was heard by both of them. Ruby jumped up in shock and rolled off the side of the bed with a yelp. Yang tried to stop her from falling off, but just missed her hand to grasp before she fell with a thud. "Oww…"

Yang snickers at Ruby on the floor, rubbing her head, underneath the covers as she pulled them down with her. Looking back towards the door, Yang answers the knock. "Just a minute! Technical difficulties!"

As Yang got off the bed to help Ruby up, a 'what?' was heard from the other side of the door. After helping Ruby up and out of the covers, Yang went to the door to answer it.

"Yello!" The cheery blonde said as she noticed it was Blake.

"Um…Hey. Is everything Ok in there? I heard a yelp and a thud? Where's Ruby?" Blake asked as she tried to look around Yang.

"Oh, you startled her out of bed with the knock. She's getting up right now. We just need a bit to get ready is all. What's up?" Yang explained easily, used to making up excuses to her father when she wanted to go out. It wasn't like she was lying anyways.

"Right. That's our fearless leader." Blake said in a clearly sarcastic tone. "Well, if you're still up for the all-day study session, then Weiss and I are almost ready. Just wanted to make sure you two weren't still sleeping."

"Of course. We'll be over in a few minutes."

"Sure. Your food from last night is in the fridge. We got you some breakfast food, eggs and bacon, since you weren't planning on eating it yesterday. See you in the living room."

"Thanks Blake!"

"Mmh." Blake gives a tired nod, along with a smile and walks back to her shared room with Weiss.

With that, Yang closed the door and turned to Ruby who had just put the covers back on the bed.

"Why did we sleep in our normal clothes?" The crimson haired girl asks as she notices her wrinkled attire.

"Why? Would you have preferred me to undress you last night~?" Yang says in a low sultry voice, taunting her sister.

Blushing red, Ruby replies, a stuttering mess. "Y-Yang!? Y-You know that's not what I meant!"

Chuckling, Yang approaches the embarrassed girl and wraps her arms around her. "I'm kidding! Hmmhmhm…It's so much fun to mess with you."

At Ruby's pout, Yang giggles again and kisses her forehead. "You were already asleep by the time we made it to the dorm, so I didn't want to wake you. By the way, Blake and Weiss wanted to know what happened last night. Do you want to tell them? They already know your biggest secret, so I don't see a problem with it."

"Oh…I don't know…Do you really think they'll take it well? Blake may know, but Weiss still thinks we're sisters. I'm worried about their reactions." Ruby says as she returns the hug, thinking that the last secret she dropped on Weiss and Blake didn't go over very well either. At least not at first.

"It doesn't matter to me, Ruby. The only person's opinion I was afraid of disappointing was yours. So as long as you still accept me, I won't care how it turns out. Do what you think is right." Yang rests her head on top of Ruby's as she finishes in a soft, loving tone, enjoying the closeness of the hug.

"Yang…How am I supposed to answer after that?" Ruby whimpers out, tears slipping out at the heartfelt truth from her sister.

Hearing the tears in her voice, Yang looks down at her girlfriend with a smile, wiping the tears away. "If you want to hold off and wait to tell everyone, I'm Ok with that. Just don't expect me to hold back when we're alone, Rubes." Yang caresses Ruby's cheek and locks eyes with her to make sure she's Ok.

"N-No, I don't think we have to wait. At least not with Blake and Weiss, they should know about us. I d-don't want to tell everyone else yet though…" Ruby stutters out, looking away with a pink blush at the insinuation of what could happen while alone with Yang. "…Should we tell them today?"

"They will be expecting an explanation for your reaction yesterday, so if you think you're ready to, then yeah." Yang explains in a soft voice, wanting to make it easier on her sister.

"You'll help me then, right? In telling them?" Ruby asks nervously, thinking she couldn't handle it without Yang beside her.

"Of course! Now, you go ahead and get the first shower. You know how long it takes me to get ready. No sense in you waiting for so long."

"Ok…Th-Thanks." Ruby mumbles out, kissing Yang's cheek before using her semblance to zoom over to the bathroom to start getting ready.

"No. Problem." Yang says slowly to herself with a smile, as she sits down on Ruby's bed and leans back with her arms planted behind her to hold herself up. She thinks of what has transpired this morning and last night as a huge smile graces her face, thinking about Ruby.

* * *

Yang gets up after a little bit, and walks out into the living room, heading to the kitchen to eat her food while she waits on Ruby to get ready. She sees Weiss and Blake in there as well. Blake was sitting on the bar stool next to the island separating the living room from the kitchen with a cup of hot liquid, while her sister's partner pours a cup of coffee that just finished.

"Sup." Yang greets the two easily as she looks into the fridge for the food.

"Good morning, oaf." Weiss shoots, not liking the inelegant greeting from her teammate as she takes her mug and sits down next to her girlfriend.

"Morning." Blake mumbles as she takes a drink from her mug.

"Thanks for picking up the food, you two." Yang says as she pops the dish in the microwave and heats the meal up, ignoring the jab as the day had already started off wonderfully for her to let something so small get her down.

The couple look at each other, Weiss curious as to why she seemed so care free, while Blake shrugs, still waking up.

While the microwave was going, Yang turned to the two and noticed that they were drinking different beverages. "What's that, Blake? It doesn't look like coffee." The blonde was referring to the light colored liquid in the mug.

"It's white tea…I don't like coffee so this is a better substitute for mornings." Blake mutters as she takes a sip.

"Hmm…Mind if I have a cup?" Yang asks as she sees the electric kettle Blake recently used.

"That's fine. I have plenty."

"Cool." Yang says as she pours her a cup and starts to take a drink.

"You may want to blow on it. It's still hot." Blake warns, but Yang ignores it as she takes a good drink.

Pulling back from the mug, Yang has a smile on her face like the heat didn't even phase her. "Mmh, not bad. It tastes kind of sweet." Yang responds, pleasantly surprised by the taste.

"How did…? Oh right, you're fireproof, never mind." Blake mutters, confused at first before realization set in. She then laid her head on her open palm to keep it up, still tired.

"She's fire proof? When did you learn that?" Weiss asks both of them, astonished at the idea.

"We sparred yesterday and I showed her my semblance. All the damage I take during a fight amplifies my own strength when I activate it. The side effects are that my hair catches fire and my eyes glow red. It doesn't hurt though. Like I said, I'm fire proof." Yang explains as the microwave alert goes off and she pulls her breakfast out, setting it on the counter next to Blake and Weiss.

"Ok? So you get stronger the more trouble you're in…? Good to know." Weiss thinks aloud, learning about her fourth teammate that she hasn't been around too much yet.

The heiress then looks at the blonde as she enjoys the meal with a smile on her face. "You seem in a very good mood today…Any reason behind that? Like with what happened last night with Ruby?"

Swallowing her food, Yang keeps her smile as she answers Weiss. "You could say that. I think it would be best for us to explain it together though. Ruby's a little nervous about it."

"What does she have to be so nervous about? She already revealed her biggest secret right? What else is there?" Weiss continued to pry, starting to become a little tired of all the secrets everyone was keeping.

"Something that's not easy to talk about. Look, it's complicated Ok. Just wait for us to get ready and then we'll tell you together. And you better not pester Ruby about it until I'm done getting ready as well, you get me?" Yang lightly threatened with her plastic fork that was in the To-Go box of her breakfast. She knew Ruby didn't do well under pressure and may crack if pushed enough. That may go very poorly.

"Fine." Weiss accepted as she crossed her arms to continue. "So what assignment do you want to go over first? I hope you're ready, because I expect you to actually try and learn from our help. We are not going to just give you the answers Yang. You would bomb all the upcoming tests if we did that. Including the one tomorrow." Weiss reminded, knowing that Yang could bring down the team average if she didn't learn anything.

"Don't get your panties in a twist. I'll do just fine, Weiss. I know I can't flunk out. If I did, then I couldn't go to this school with Ruby. And that's not happening." Yang waved off her worry as she finished the plate and cup of tea.

Ignoring the vulgar jab, Weiss pressed on. "Well you better. I suggest we start with Port's assignments since Ooblec's should be done later so it will be fresher for the test we have in his class tomorrow." From out of nowhere, Weiss pulls out a stack of textbooks to study with.

Yang sighs heavily as she gets up from her seat at the island. She had no idea how someone could actually enjoy studying and doing homework. "Fiiiine…I'll go see if Ruby's done with her shower…"

* * *

Yang walked back to her and Ruby's room to get ready after the red head had finished showering. She opened the door, and there, standing in her underwear, was Ruby getting dressed in front of the closet.

"Yang!? Wh-What are you doing?!" Ruby shouted as she tried to cover herself with a red shirt that had a dog face on it. She then turned into a blur for a few seconds and then was fully dressed in that shirt, her cape, and a pair of black jeans.

"Aww, you cheated…" Yang play pouted with a smile at Ruby's blush. "…This **is** my room too, you know?"

"Still! Why didn't you knock?!" Ruby asked, knowing that everyone from team RWBY heard of the rules after they moved in. Except… "We never discussed the rules!" Ruby face palmed, remembering now.

"What?" Yang asked as she walked up to Ruby.

"We established some rules when we moved in. We decided a few things, but forgot to tell you about them, sorry Yang."

"Ok, well like what?" Yang asks, not really upset as it really didn't matter until now.

"Well we decided that everyone should knock before entering a room in the dorm. I came up with it. It could have been pretty bad if they walked in on me drinking your blood before they knew about me." Ruby tells Yang as she takes a seat on her bed.

"Makes sense. What else?" The brawler asks as she gets her clothes ready for her shower.

There's a lights out curfew during weekdays at 10 P.M. I agreed with it, because we should all try and get some sleep for school, Yang." Ruby nervously told, as she knew Yang liked to stay up late.

"I can deal with that." Yang said as she walked by Ruby on the bed. She then suddenly leaned down in front of her sister, giving her quite the view down her shirt. "As long as I have you to sleep with~."

Ruby's blush was back in full force as she gulped nervously.

Yang giggles at her reaction before delivering a kiss to her cheek. "I love you, Ruby."

That snaps her out of her stupor, and the fledgling smiles at the girl in front of her. "I love you too."

With her clean clothes in her hand, Yang walks to the bathroom, swinging her hips for Ruby's enjoyment. She smirks as she can feel her sister's eyes on her back side. "Something catch your eye~?"

As Yang looks back for a response, Ruby looks away as soon as possible at being caught. Chuckling, the blonde eases up on the teasing. "Weiss and Blake are in the kitchen if you want to wait for me in there. I'll be out in a bit, Rubes."

"O-Ok…" Ruby says, as she gets up and walks to the bedroom door as Yang closes the one in between them to start getting ready.

* * *

After spending some time with Weiss and Blake in the living room, Ruby notices Yang step out from their room, freshly dressed in a yellow tank top and short shorts. Of course she was wearing her orange scarf, stained with blood. The piece of cloth was about as special to her now, as that red cloak is to Ruby. Yang's hair was steaming as well, having just been dried by unnatural means. _'Her semblance is like a Swiss army knife of usefulness.'_ Ruby thinks in jealousy.

That feeling was replaced with happiness when Yang looked at her with a smile though. Ruby got up and jumped into her sister's arms as she approached the group, knowing that they had been seen hugging before by their teammates.

"Hmhm…What was that for?" Yang asks after a giggle, lacing her arms around Ruby to accept the hug.

"Because I could." Ruby said easily, just mimicking what Yang told her that morning.

"Ahem…" A throat cleared behind Ruby and they looked at the cause to be Weiss, growing impatient. "I think now would be a good time for you to explain what happened last night." Weiss spoke, wanting to know why Ruby ran away in tears at the sight of Yang and Blake hugging.

"Right, well…" Ruby started nervously as she turned around, out of Yang's arms. "…Last night was…Strange for me. Seeing you and Yang that close…It hurt…" Ruby spoke softly, her attention shifting to Blake. She felt Yang take her hand and squeeze lightly, telling her that she was doing well so far.

"Why Ruby? It was just a hug, and we are partners and friends…" Blake's eyes widened as she thought about the cause of Ruby running away. "Were you…Jealous?" Blake asked slowly, not wanting to ask such an embarrassing question.

As Blake voiced this, Weiss suddenly thought back to her conversation with Ruby in the hospital yesterday. _'Ruby said that she had feelings for someone that she shouldn't…She likes Blake?'_ Weiss' eyes widened as well, she thought she figured it out. Ruby's slow nod only confirming this as she answered Blake's question.

"Ruby…I'm sorry. I'm in love with Weiss though. I'm sure there is-…" Blake began to explain sadly, not wanting to hurt her young leader, but was interrupted by the same person.

"Wh-What?! No! I'm not-Urgh…" Ruby groaned as she realized she didn't explain it right. Her thoughts were interrupted as Yang enveloped her from behind and laid her head atop her own.

"She wasn't jealous to be with you, Blake. She was jealous of you! Ruby…" Yang says, looking down at her sister. "…She admitted her feelings for me last night, and I feel the same way…I have for 5 years." Yang explains with a smile, happy that all that time spent wanting Ruby finally paid off.

Ruby smiled as well, a small blush working its way up her face as she was held by Yang so closely in front of her team. She entangled her fingers with Yang's that were around her waist, no longer scared with her sister so close for support.

Weiss blushed pink, not expecting this in the slightest. Blake had a neutral face, as she was digesting the information. She wondered how she never realized this with all the times that the sisters spent hugging each other so closely. Blake just chalked it up to affectionate sisters like Weiss did.

Now she felt dumb though. Blake knew that they weren't actually sisters after their conversation when Weiss had that panic attack. The sisters lived together, but were about as related as she and Weiss were. Blake then had another thought, that she voice with a question directed at the blonde. "Is that why you like 'A Dance of Blades and Claws'?" She had to admit, the two incestuous teens from that show looked a bit like Yang and Ruby, if Ruby was a guy and more muscular.

It was Yang's turn to sport a blush as she smiled awkwardly. "Hehe…Maybe?"

"Are you two talking about that porn show I caught you watching that one time, Yang?" Ruby asked, remembering seeing some graphic things that were instantly turned off by her sister, as she entered the room one time in Patch.

"It's not porn!" Yang and Blake shouted simultaneously, both sporting blushes now.

Ever the voice of reason, Weiss interrupts the argument before they can get even more off track. "Ok, coming back to this later…" Weiss points a look to Blake as the girl gets even pinker in the face. "…How about we go back to the fact that you two are sisters in love!"

"We-We're not really sisters!" Ruby stutters out quickly.

"Yeah! Ruby was adopted when she was 6. We're not related!" Yang explained further, not caring about herself, just not wanting Ruby to feel ridiculed about loving her sister.

"What?" Weiss asked, having never heard this before.

"It's actually true, Weiss. They told me when you had that episode in the hospital. It just never came up, I'm sorry for not mentioning it." Blake apologized, hoping Weiss wasn't too mad for withholding information from her.

Weiss looked from the sisters to Blake, back to the sisters again, then finally looking down, processing all that had transpired. "That's…So you two were in love with each other this entire time? And only just now got around to telling each other about it?" Weiss asked the two sisters.

At receiving nods to both of the questions, Weiss sighed heavily. "It's official. You two are made for each other. Only a couple of idiots would wait 5 years before finally saying something about how they feel." Weiss crossed her arms as she insulted them. She held her composure for as long as she could before giving up and letting a small smile slip out, just barely noticeable by the others.

"Who am I to deny you love, that others may see as morally wrong…?" Weiss asks as she looks over to her faunus girlfriend with a bigger smile.

Blake smiled in return and approached her to give her a hug for the touching words. As the couple hugged, they were interrupted by another noise, as well as another body. "Awwww! So cute!" Yang cooed out as she added to the hug, Ruby following her lead to complete the team RWBY hug. "Thanks, Weiss. It means a lot to us that you're Ok with this…What about you though Blake?" Yang asked, as Weiss tried to struggle out of the group hug, getting smushed.

"Weiss is right. If you love each other that should be all that really matters…" Blake takes a minute to think on her next words carefully. "…It is a little weird to see you two like that though. I'm still used to you acting like sisters, so it will just take some time to get used to the extra affection, I guess…I hope that's Ok?" Blake asks, not wanting to make them think that she's disgusted by their relationship.

"We'll keep the public make-out sessions to a minimum." Yang says with a snicker.

"Yaaaang?!" Ruby whines out as she punches Yang in the arm.

"Ow! You know your punches hurt, Ruby!" Yang rubs her arm, but as she sees Ruby continue the pout, she smiles and pulls her little sister closer. "I was kidding! …Mostly…" Yang finishes with a quiet mumble, due to the close proximity though, everyone in the hug heard it.

Ruby blushes scarlet at the thought of kissing Yang in front of everyone. She tries her best to snap out of it though, pulling out of the hug to answer Blake and Weiss better. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that. We're not exactly going public with our relationship yet…" Ruby finishes with a mutter, poking her index fingers together.

Weiss shakes her head at the ridiculousness of the two couples. "This team sure does love its secrets! So what about team JNPR or anyone else that you think should know?" The heiress asks the two new girlfriends.

"Ain't that the truth?" Yang laughs as she puts an arm around Ruby's shoulder to pull her into a side hug. "Well that all depends on Rubes. I told her she could tell people about us when she was ready. She agreed that you two should be the first to know though."

"Well, I am the leader…I have to set a good example for the rest of you to be open about important things." Ruby mumbled out while she crossed her arms, acting proud of her decision. "As for JNPR…I don't know yet…How did they take learning about your relationship?" Ruby asked the monochrome pair, having not been there when the majority of JNPR learned about Weiss and Blake's status.

Blake smirked at her. "Pyrrha seemed very thrilled about it." Everyone knowing why, even Ruby after the amazons display during the initiation. "Ren and Nora were Ok with it too. If you do tell them, just lead with what you told us. You aren't related. That's the only thing I could see them ever having a problem with. That also explains why you two look nothing alike for sisters…"

"Catching onto that, huh?" Yang chuckled at the 'perceptive' skills of the rest of the team. Before Weiss could blow a fuse at the insult, Ruby interrupted to diffuse the situation.

"Thanks, guys. I mean it. I'll think about telling JNPR about us, but I just want to enjoy our last day of the weekend for now. I have an idea on how to deal with that girl who hurt you, Weiss. We could even try it out in a sparring area today, if you all want? That could be fun." Ruby said, always up for some sparring, especially if it's with the team now that Yang is up and about.

Calming down thanks to Ruby, Weiss sighed, carrying on. "Maybe after we get in a few hours of study. For now, you two need to go get your books so we can start getting Yang caught up on school work." Weiss spoke as she collected her books from the counter and set them down on the couch in the living room. She tossed a few throw pillows down on the ground for a cushion for someone to sit on, making enough room for the team to work at the coffee table.

"Fine. Let's go Rubes. Maybe after, we can continue where we left off this morning~." Yang smirked as she walked off with Ruby next to her blushing, going to retrieve their books to study.

* * *

After a few hours of studying at the coffee table, sitting on the pillows that Weiss put down, Yang and Ruby where at their limits. They were in desperate need of a break and they were ready to voice that.

"Could we stop for a bit? Like 30 minutes at least? We've been going at it for hours and all I see is black letters from looking at text for so long!" Yang exclaims, not waiting for someone to give her permission to get up and stretch out the soreness of her legs from sitting on them for so long.

"I think a break is a great idea! I'm a little sore from sitting down so long too." Ruby happily agreed, slowly getting up from the pillow she was sitting on.

"Snack break?" Blake suggested simply, with a shrug.

"Alright. That sounds acceptable. We **have** been going for almost 5 hours now." Weiss relents easily, also wanting to get up and stretch, maybe grab a drink too.

"You know, they really should have included some chairs to go along with the couch. It only seats 3 comfortably…" Ruby says as she stretches her legs like her sister, who was just as miserable as her, while sitting on the floor. The leader then got an idea. "Yang! Follow me!" Ruby took off to their bedroom, not waiting for a response.

"What? Why?" Sighing, Yang smiled at her adorkable girlfriend/sister and chased after her to find out what she wanted.

The two then came back, carrying the two leather chairs from their room like they were beach balls. They set them down on the other side of the coffee table, where they were originally sitting, and smiled at each other.

"Nice idea, sis!" Yang praised as she held up her hand for a high-five.

Ruby accepted the gesture immediately, but was surprised as Yang grabbed the hand she used and pulled her closer, stealing a kiss. The blonde held the smaller girl by the hips, deepening the kiss, and the vampire melted into it easily.

Pulling out of the short, but steamy kiss, Yang had a smirk on her face. "Mine was better though."

Ruby hid her face in Yang's chest in embarrassment, but had a small smile she couldn't fight off as she hugged her sister back.

Weiss and Blake were already in the kitchen, getting something to drink while the sisters brought in the chairs.

"I can't believe we never noticed how they felt…" Weiss said as she got a water out of the fridge.

"Well, it fit didn't it? Their situation, I mean. They said they were sisters, and after finding out how they acted all the time, they seemed to be the touchy feely type of people to me. Their signs of affection didn't seem very out of place for as long as we knew them…" Blake put forth, knowing exactly what Weiss was referring to.

"I suppose you're right…Still, I can't imagine being in love with someone for 5 years and never telling them. That must've driven them insane." Weiss gestured a bottle towards the faunus, but Blake turned it down in favor of another cup of tea.

"Well Yang sets herself on fire and Ruby never stops talking. Pretty sure they are." Blake says, chuckling. Weiss smiles at the joke and they walk back into the living room after getting what they wanted from the kitchen.

Seeing the sisters hug closely, lost in each other, Weiss clears her throat to get their attention. "Do you two want anything? A drink or snack? Now's the time."

"Sure. Let's go Rubes." Yang says as she picks the smaller girl up in her arms and carries her to the kitchen.

"Yang!" Ruby yells with a laugh at her sister's craziness. She then wraps her arms around the blonde's neck and leans into her, enjoying the ride.

Being close to her neck and scarf again, Ruby smells her sister's blood and realizes she hasn't fed in a few days. That's normally not a problem, as vampires can go about a week without needing to feed, but that didn't mean she couldn't go for another bite right now.

Yang could feel her sister's breathing getting heavy on her neck, as it sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. "R-Ruby? You Ok?"

The heavy breathing stopped as Ruby pulled away. "Y-Yeah…Why?" Ruby tried to lie, but as Yang looked down at her, she knew something was up.

"Oh, no reason…" Yang said, as she rolled her eyes, sarcastically. "…It's just that your eyes are red!" Yang gave her a concerned look. "What's wrong?"

Ruby shut her eyes and blinked away the red to gain control again. She shook her head, trying to clear it, so she could think clearly again. "I just…I don't know…I…I think it's your scarf…I smell your blood on it. It's…I-Intoxicating." Ruby got out slowly, blushing at the admission that she liked Yang's blood.

Yang smiled, happy that Ruby enjoyed the feedings as much as she did. "Well, since we're being honest now…" Yang started in a humorous tone, before going into a more serious one. "…I really enjoy giving you my blood, Ruby. I know I never outright said it, but it feels really good." Yang started to blush at the blunt truth.

"Really?"

"Really…If you ever want to feed, all you have to do is ask and I'll give you as much as you want." Yang said, smiling at Ruby who was still in her arms.

"Y-You can put me down now…" Ruby said, blushing as they had just been standing there in the kitchen.

"O-Oh, right. Hehe…" Yang chuckled nervously, as she set Ruby down gently.

"I th-think I'll take you up on that…But later. Not when we have people 20 feet from us." Ruby explains, blushing furiously at the idea of feeding on Yang right in front of Weiss and Blake.

"Ok, later. So do you want anything right now?" Yang asked as she was at the fridge.

"Milk, please." Ruby said as she got a small amount of cookies out and put them on a plate.

Yang looked back at her sister and saw the plate, smiling. "Of course." Yang snickered as Ruby got upset.

"What? Cookies are one of the only two things I can enjoy." Ruby defends weakly.

"You're right, you're right. Here's your milk, Rubes." Yang relents, backing up on the teasing for now. The blonde hands the glass over, before getting out a bag of popcorn, stuffing it in the microwave.

* * *

After everyone had their snacks and sat down to enjoy them, Blake thought about what Ruby said earlier. That girl who hurt Weiss.

"About what you said earlier, Ruby…" Blake starts abruptly, sitting down next to Weiss on the couch. Across the table was Yang and Ruby, sitting in the two leather chairs from their room.

"Hmm…?" Ruby hums out, enjoying a cookie.

"You said you had a plan for when we face her again. That girl who shot Weiss. What is it?" The faunus asks, not wanting the same thing to happen to Weiss.

"Oh, that! Well, remember what Velvet said about how she was only able to control one person at a time? That's it! While she manipulates one person, the rest of the team just call out where she is and what she is doing! That way the person being attacked will know what to do!" Ruby chirped out, proud of her idea.

"It could work…That's if our speculations are correct though, and she **can** only control one person at a time." Weiss thought aloud, going over the idea in her head.

"Well, you tell us. Did it feel like that's what was happening? Blake said she could see her right in front of you when she pulled the trigger…But you seemed oblivious." Ruby asked, wanting to make sure her idea was going to work.

"I didn't see anyone there. It sounds correct…I guess we could give it a try later, when we spar as a team finally." Weiss answers, finishing as she looks at Yang.

"I'm **so** ready! How much longer do we have to study for, Weiss?" Yang punches her fists together, pumped to fight some more.

"We still have Ooblec's class to cover. That includes the entire week of assignments as well as studying for the test tomorrow, so that will take a few hours as well." Weiss explains, as Yang deflates, thinking they were almost done.

"Uuuuughh…! I hate school work!" Yang groans, sinking into the chair.

"Don't worry, Yang. Once you get caught up, it's smooth sailing from there!" Ruby says, grabbing Yang's hand with a big smile, wanting to cheer up her girlfriend.

Yang gives a weak smile back, understanding, but still not ready to start again. "Yeah…I get it. A few more minutes though?" Yang asks as she throws a piece of popcorn in the air and catches it in her mouth.

"Sure!" Ruby agrees instantly, also wanting to relax for a bit more.

* * *

As they all agreed to relax for a while longer, Blake thought of something else due to bringing up the alley conversation.

"Hey, Ruby. Another question about the two people in the alley…I remember you telling Coco about their red eyes, and while I thought nothing of it at the time, you were right about that. Is that a vampire thing? You and Coco have red eyes as well…" Blake asked, wondering if they had fought vampires.

"Well, it is a vampire thing, but they weren't vampires." Ruby explained, shaking her head slightly.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, also wanting to know who they were that attacked her.

"So…There are ways to turn people, as a vampire…" Ruby starts slowly, wanting to explain it as best she can. "You can sire them as a new vampire, which requires you to drink all of their blood, eventually killing them, until they wake up the next day. If the body is too damaged though, like if they are missing a major part of their body, and die before you drain them, then it won't work and they will remain dead…"

Ruby then sighs and looks down, remembering what her mother told her about the next part. "Then…There are ghouls…"

"Ghouls? Like zombies?" Weiss asks, finding the information ridiculous.

"Sorta…The ones we fought in the alley were bound ghouls though."

"What's the difference?" Blake asks, wanting to know what they are up against.

"While there are regular ghouls, like you said, zombies that are mindless and just want to eat people. There are also bound ghouls…They are bound, by their soul, to the one that made them. The bond compels them to follow their masters every order, like a puppet…" Ruby thinks sadly, remembering the dream she had of her killing Yang.

The blonde grabs Ruby's hand in comfort, thinking that it was due to remembering their mother that was causing the sadness. Ruby sends her a thankful smile and keeps hold of the hand.

"How are they bound?" Weiss asks softly, seeing that Ruby is getting upset.

"They…Have to be dead first…Then the vampire gives their blood to them and it brings them back…Their soul is within the blood, so when the vampire shares it, it binds their souls together." Ruby sees Yang smile softly out of the corner of her eye. Probably thinking of how Ruby has Yang's soul within her. Ruby smiles softly back, glad Yang is still Ok with the idea that she has a part of her soul.

"Do the ghouls die when the vampire that raised them is slain? And are bound ghouls as strong as vampires?" Blake asks, wanting to know their strengths and weaknesses.

"They do, but only the bound ghouls, as they are the ones that still have a soul that keeps them alive. The lesser ghouls have no soul, so you have to destroy each individual one after they are created. Bound ghouls are stronger and faster than humans, but not at the level of a vampire. Lesser ghouls have super human strength, but lack any kind of dexterity when it comes to a fight. They're mindless after all. Also, neither can control shadows like a vampire can." Ruby explains, forgetting that they don't know what that is.

"Shadows?" Weiss asks, arcing a brow higher.

To demonstrate, Ruby gets up and closes her eyes, still holding Yang's hand to help with the process. She breathes deeply then focuses on protecting Yang to bring up the same feeling from before. She then feels a familiar pulse of energy come from around her.

Ruby hears gasps as she opens her eyes and stares at Weiss and Blake's shocked faces.

"Where are those things coming from?" Weiss asks, marveling the seeming tangible nature of the 6 foot shadow vines that protrude from the shadow of Ruby on the ground.

"Like my aura, they come from my soul. As long as I have the energy from a recent feeding, I can summon them to help fight." Ruby tries moving them, as she hasn't had much practice yet, and they start to twitch and writhe around slowly.

She manages to get the them in a ready stance, flaring up around her sides to intercept something, should she be attacked. Ruby then lets out a breath and dismisses them, only wanting to show them what the shadow ability looks like.

"So ghouls don't have this ability…What can they do then?" Blake asks, wanting to know why bound ghouls are so dangerous.

"Well, besides having superior strength and speed to humans, they also maintain their semblance and aura from when they were alive, as their soul is still bound to the body. Which is why that girl still had a semblance. The lesser ghouls are different though, they no longer have a soul." Ruby says as she takes her seat again.

"Lesser ghouls are made by bound ghouls and bound ghouls only. When a bound ghoul bites someone and they die, they are resurrected as a 'zombie'. Both types of ghouls hunger for human flesh, but the bound ones are able to control that hunger…For a time at least." Ruby stares at her lap, thinking how horrible it must be to become a ghoul.

"The hunger eventually overtakes them, driving them crazy. It's something my mother told me never to do. Making someone a ghoul is the worst thing you could do."

"So are ghouls just as hard to put down as vampires?" Blake asks, wanting to know how to deal with them.

"Not quite…Vampires are hard to kill because we regenerate so quickly. As long as we have enough blood, we can heal from any wound as long as it's not a beheading or a silver blade to the heart." Ruby then puts on a small smile.

"Well, at least with regular vampires. A silver, or even blessed silver weapon would do little damage to me. Not that I want to test it, but anything short of a beheading, I think I could recover from." Ruby says, waving her arms to put down the potential ideas to try it, not that they had any.

The fledgling then looks to Weiss' puzzled expression as she remembers that she never told her partner about this. "I'm part of a special vampire clan that gives me immunity to blessed silver. All other vampires have a huge weakness to it, and for that matter, so do ghouls and bound ghouls. One good swing of a blessed silver blade can render a mindless ghoul to ash. It doesn't have quite that potent of an effect on bound ghouls though, as they have the essence of a vampire, a much stronger type of undead. It's still very effective on them though."

Weiss then quickly gets up and goes to her room without saying anything. Everyone looks at Blake, as she knew her the best, but she just shrugged, having no idea why her girlfriend just up and left without a word. The heiress then came back with Myrtenaster in tow. She sat back down with the sword in her lap, admiring it, as if it was the first time seeing it.

"My father…He believed in the myth that vampires were weak against blessed silver after doing some research on them following my mother's death...So he had Myrtenaster made out of those same materials for my protection…" Weiss spoke, amazed that her father was actually right about the metal.

"That's great, Weiss! I'm getting Crescent Rose made out of that stuff too!" Ruby cheered, happy that she and her partner were going to have weapons made out of the same material.

"Should we do the same?" Blake asked for Yang as well, wondering if it would help.

"I could talk to Ozpin about it. He may think it's a good idea as well." Ruby said thinking about when the new blades would be arriving for her baby.

"Not really sure what silver gauntlets would do against them though…" Ruby said with a hint of sadness as she looked at her sister. She then got a brilliant idea that she hoped Yang would love. "I know what we could do! We could add an attachment to Ember Celica!"

"What? I don't know…What did you have in mind, Rubes?" Yang asked, not wanting to mess with the weapon she made.

"We could add a blessed silver blade to each gauntlet, so when you punch something it also stabs the enemy! A punch knife!" Ruby said excited to come up with a new weapon design.

"But what about when I'm not in combat? I wear Ember as an accessory too, Ruby. I can't exactly wear knives out in the open." Yang questioned, not sold yet.

"You're talking to someone who carries around a giant scythe like it's a small box! I think I can figure out how to fold back a few knives so they don't get in the way." Ruby easily explains, really wanting to pull this off now.

Yang smiles at her, happy to see that Ruby was enjoying herself. "We can work on it together, but you better not mess them up! I may not drool over my weapons like you do, but I still take pride in the fact that I made them."

Ruby pouted and stuck her tongue out playfully as she was made fun of for being a weapon nut. Yang started to laugh at the gesture, Ruby soon following as they enjoyed the moment together.

"Well alright then. We'll talk to Ozpin about it later. I think we should get back to studying though. We would be here all day if we don't get this over with." Ruby advised.

After some light complaining from Yang and the blonde eventually relenting, the group started studying again, wanting to get it over with now that they had snacks and better seats to make the experience more enjoyable.

* * *

"So Yang? Who started the conflict of The Great War?" Weiss asked, quizzing what Yang had learned from the hours of studying.

"It was between Vale and Mistral, right? Mistral started settling on the eastern side of Sanus the same time as Vale, but no one knows who actually started the fighting between the settlers…Right?" Yang asked her own question, worried she miss-remembered.

The worry was replaced with relief though, when Weiss smiled. "Correct. The people of the Kingdom of Vale wanted Mistral to leave, but the settlers from Mistral were stubborn and eventually a riot turned to bloodshed."

"I think you're ready for that test now!" Ruby glomped the blonde, happy that they were finally done with studying. Yang smiled and laughed at her sister, returning the hug.

"I suppose you are. We should do this again sometime." Weiss said with a smile, enjoying the quiet atmosphere that continued practically the whole day while they were studying.

Laughing, Yang looked at Weiss like she was crazy. "Eh…Let's put a rain check on that. I'm good on my reading quota for at least another week!" Yang joked, exhausted by all the words flying in her brain.

"…Brute…" Weiss sighed heavily, but smiled as she was pleasantly surprised by how long Yang kept at it, especially since she actually tried the entire session.

"Gorgeous Brute!" Yang corrected instantly with a smirk.

Ruby smiled into her sister as she hugged tighter. Yang noticed and smiled down at the red head, hugging back.

"Hey, snacks are great and all, but what's say we get some actual food now?" Yang asks, standing up with Ruby.

"Good idea, but while the cafeteria is great, it would be nice to have someone who could cook at the dorm. Can you cook Yang, because none of us can?" Blake asked her partner, for future endeavors.

"I do alright. I did the cooking for me and dad when Summer passed away. Summer taught me to cook as I got older, but she passed her baking secrets to both of us." Yang said, squeezing Ruby's shoulder as she meant her.

"I can cook something later though. We don't have the ingredients, and I'm a little tired right now from all the books. I would much rather just pick up some food from the cafeteria." Yang explained fairly.

"That's fine, I just wanted to know if it was a possibility." The faunus said, shrugging as she didn't really expect her to cook right now.

"Let's get some grub then!" Yang said enthusiastically, with a fist in the air, still holding onto Ruby.

The rest of the team followed, as they could use some food as well. Except for a certain leader who needed to make a quick trip to their bedroom bathroom to deal with the cookies she ate already. Getting sick was not on her to-do list.

* * *

 **So a bit more was explained about ghouls and such, and now everyone in team RWBY is on the same page. Weiss and Blake's reactions were pretty tame. Honestly though, Ruby and Yang being together is not that weird once you know they aren't related.**

 **For anyone who hasn't seen the TV show "The Flash", Barry and Iris are in the exact same situation as Yang and Ruby are, and they get married in the future. Barry is adopted by Iris' dad and they grow up as brother and sister, but eventually fall in love. No one finds it weird in the show that they are in love with each other after growing up that way. And they really shouldn't. So neither do Blake and Weiss. They aren't really in a position to judge relationships anyways. But that was a long digression, let's get back to something else.**

 **I said that the next chapters would feature the bad guys some, and I meant it, but this chapter got away from me in length, so next chapter will have that when I pick up right after they left for the cafeteria. After Ruby had to throw up the cookies she ate. I did explain this already, but vampires can't eat food. They can enjoy some foods, but they can't actually digest any of it, or they grow weak.**

 **How cool was that though? Myrtenaster is already equipped to handle undead! Now we just need Gambol Shroud upgraded and Ember Celica to be turned into a punch knife. XD**

 **Please tell me how I did in the reviews! Don't forget to favorite and follow. We are just at 299 follows at the upload of this chapter! Thanks so much everyone. I appreciate the support and kind words from everyone that enjoys this story. It helps a bunch! You all make me want to try harder on these stories. So until next chapter, Peace!**


	27. Green

**Hey all! I'm not dead. Just been really slow with my updates compared to usual. I updated my profile page with the reason why, but for those that haven't read it, I've just lost motivation a bit. Not completely! I still want to write, and I still plan to keep my promise about never leaving a story incomplete, I just don't have the same drive as when I started. back then, I had this amazing idea for a story in my head, and I just couldn't wait to write it down, but now it's not quite like that. It's gotten more difficult as the characters are progressing past what I wrote out originally. I still haven't made it to the end of my notes, but certain things have made me take a huge detour with the story. Like Monochrome for example. I never intended to have them get together, at least not this fast, if at all. So I ended up changing how like the last 10 chapters were going to turn out because of that.**

 **Writing is tough guys, but I'm not stopping. Just giving you a heads up as to why it's been taking me so long. These last two chapters taking so long though, is due to me not planning out the small stuff properly. Things that aren't as relevant to the plot taking place, like the study session. Never planned that out! Hopefully things will pick back up soon, but I can't promise that.**

 **Anyways, enough of my excuses. Here's the next chapter! I don't know if you have figured this out or not, but my titles generally allude to two different things happening every chapter. Not always, but more than some.**

* * *

Chapter 27: Green

The group left their dorm, heading down to the cafeteria hall to eat after a long day of studying. Weiss and Blake walked side by side, but didn't get too close to each other, still under the guise of 'just friends'. Yang on the other hand, wrapped her arm over Ruby's shoulder and pulled her into her side as they walked down the hallway.

"Y-Yang…" Ruby stuttered out with a blush, nervous about blowing their secret relationship.

"If your stomach still hurts from the cookies, you shouldn't have eaten so much." Yang chides lightly with a playful smile on her face, missing what Ruby was complaining about.

"No. Not that…" Ruby squirms under the blonde's arm, wanting to separate to appear more natural. She succeeds as Yang lets up to see what she was moving around for. "We-We're in the hall…What if someone…You know, sees us?" Ruby asks, as they all stop in the empty hallway.

"Then they'll think that we're two adorable sisters, hugging?" Yang giggled as Ruby pouted, thinking that Yang wasn't taking this seriously. Wanting to explain herself, so she doesn't lose hugging privileges out in public, Yang continues. "Not much has changed on the outside of our relationship, if you think about it Rubes. We hugged all the time before we confessed, so why stop?" The big sister cocked her head to the side, wondering if her leader saw it her way too.

Ruby looks down, thinking it over in her head. _'I guess that's true…We hugged every time we saw each other while she was in the infirmary. I guess it would be more suspicious if we stopped hugging, honestly…'_ Ruby blushed after finishing that thought, Yang smirking as she saw it.

"Is that a, 'yes' you're Ok with it?" Yang stretched out her arms, wanting Ruby to come to her if that was true.

Ruby gave up with a blushing smile and leaned into Yang's arms. "I'm Ok with it…B-But nothing else!" Ruby immediately corrects, not wanting Yang to think that she's Ok with it all in public.

Accepting the smaller girl into her side, Yang smiles at the outburst. "That's fine with me… At least for now~" The brawler says as she whispers the last part into the red head's ear, making her gulp nervously. Yang was actually just happy that Ruby didn't have a problem with where they were at already, in their relationship. There was no way she was going to push her little sister into anything she wasn't comfortable with.

* * *

As they made their way down to the first floor, the team noticed a familiar group at the front desk chatting about something. Two blonde girls, a tall brunette man, and a short purple haired girl, all smiling and laughing around the desk at the front door of the dorm building.

"Hey, guys!" Ruby chirped out while clutching Yang's arm, recognizing Granite and his teammates.

"Sup! You guys headed out?" Granite asked with a smile, leaning against the counter of the desk, as he noticed team RWBY.

"Just to the cafeteria. We got pretty hungry after an all-day study session." Blake answered for Ruby, knowing that she wasn't particularly hungry for what the school was serving the students.

"Oh, man. Well, at least you're through it now though, right?" Granite says, before noticing the girl Ruby has with her. "And who is that, Ruby? 'Friend' of yours?" The man smirks, noticing how clingy the leader was to the hot blonde.

Yang smirked at the emphasis on friend, but stuck out her hand to greet the guy that was apparently friends with her sister. "Yang Xiao Long. We're sisters actually, but we know we don't exactly look related, so it's cool."

"Oh! So you're the sister that was in the infirmary after the initiation? My name's Granite." The man introduced himself as he took the offered hand. "Ruby did mention you, but yeah you're right. I don't really see the family resemblance…" Granite said questioningly.

"W-Well I was adopted by her family, so…We're not actually related." Ruby spoke up beside Yang, grasping her sister's hand for strength.

"I didn't mean to-…" Granite started to apologize before being interrupted by the big sister.

"It's fine. You didn't know, so no worries. Right, Rubes?" Yang shrugs it off as she looks down to the girl clutching her hand with both of hers.

"Yeah, it's fine Granite." Ruby says, smiling at her sister, then at the big guy and his team.

Yang stuck her hand out to Opal next and exchanged greetings with her.

"I'm Opal Snowraven, It's nice to meet you, Yang."

"You too." Yang answered simply. This continued on until she met the rest of the team. She could tell she would get along with everyone, but especially Daisy from her attitude. After a joke from Granite about how close Daisy and Leadia are, she pulled him into a headlock until he choked out a sorry to the partners.

"So, how are all of you doing?" Ruby asked, happy to see and catch up with some of the few friends she had made at the school.

"Pretty good. We're going to be going on a full team mission soon, so that should be fun." Granite says, pulling Opal into his side with a smile, excited to go with his girlfriend on a mission for once in a month. Opal smiled back, wrapping one arm around his waist to complete the hug.

This was when Ruby finally noticed the item on Opal's hip. A rod, with two glowing ends connected to two half circles in the middle, about a foot long. The ends and circles were glowing blue and green for lightning and energy dust, respectively.

"EEEEEEK! YOU BROUGHT YOUR BO-STAFF?! CAN I SEE IT?! CAN I SEE IT?!" Ruby shrieked in excitement, causing Yang beside her to jump at the noise. Everyone in the room covered their ears at the glass shattering squeal.

"Oww!" Blake groaned as she covered her bow and ears as best she could.

"WHAT?!" Weiss yelled at Blake, misunderstanding that she was trying to say something.

Blake shook her head to communicate, knowing that Weiss couldn't hear her even if she wanted her to. _'I might have to start wearing earplugs around her…Two sets…'_ The faunus thinks as she massages her human ears and 'adjusts' her bow.

Opal raised the small object in her hand after recovering from the hearing loss and pressed a button. The foot long stick extended into a 5 foot staff, as the blonde who was holding it, smiled at Ruby. "I heard you were wanting to get a closer look? Well, I won't let you wield her, but I'll show you how she works." Opal said protectively of her creation.

Judging by the smile on her face, the group could tell that Opal was also a weapon enthusiast like Ruby. The girl twirled her staff around and arcs of lightning surged out of one end, scorching imaginary enemies, while the other produced waves of force to knock down the same invisible threat. Everyone was watching the senior's graceful form, as she seemed to flow with the staff in her hands, like it propelled her forward into each and every attack.

Seeing that she had the group's attention, Opal smirked as she hadn't even made it to the good part yet. She spun her staff one more time, then folded it in half on itself, connecting the two half circles to make a complete one. This was the core that Ruby wanted to see. The combination of the two dust types to produce an energy source for the pulse rifle. As the construction shifted to form a grip and trigger on one end and a singular barrel for the energy and lightning to come out together from the other, Opal handled the newly formed rifle like it was a part of herself. She took aim down the hall and the core in the middle began to glow, charging a bright beam made of energy and lightning dust within the chamber.

Ruby's jaw was on the floor as she smiled from ear to ear at the display and was anticipating seeing what the gun could accomplish, but just as the glow began to flicker and pulse at its peak, Opal hit a switch on the side of the frame and the energy slowly dissipated. She flipped the gun around again and it folded back out into a staff like she wanted.

"Sorry, but I'm not gonna blow a hole in the dorms just to demonstrate my weapon." The older blonde said with humor as she reduced the weapon back to a foot long tube and attached it to the hip of her school uniform.

"Awwww…" Ruby pouted at being teased, causing the upperclasswoman to giggle at the short remark. A certain blonde, next to Ruby, clenched her fists at the taunting laugh.

"Maybe some other time I can show you more at a firing range, or a sparring arena perhaps?" Opal suggests, wanting to spend more time with someone who appreciates a fine weapon design like herself.

Before Ruby could answer with a 'definitely', Yang put her hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Some other time, but we're all starving, so we'll be going now. It was nice meeting you, though!" Yang half lied as she dragged Ruby, by the collar of her cape, out the door, Blake and Weiss following them after an awkward goodbye to team GOLD.

As the group left, the senior team were left alone to ponder what just happened.

"Well that was weird…" Opal thought out loud as she crossed her arms in contemplation.

"Eh, whatever. I'm sure she was just hungry." Granite waved off easily, not wanting the strange behavior of Yang to get in the way of their recently made plans.

"You guys ready to get some sparring done? We should get some practice down while we can, before the mission, right?" Granite asks, turning off the monitor at the desk and unplugging his scroll from it, as he was done at his post for the day.

"Damn right!" Daisy shouts with a grin, as she rolls her neck to pop it.

"Sure!" Leadia said, ready to practice some more combos with her friends.

"Just make sure not to bang him up too bad this time. His bruises may have healed, but not his ego!" Opal laughed out at Granite's expense, referring to a previous sparring match the group had.

"Oh, yeah? Well what about the time I pinned you 3 times in a row, Opal?" The big man retorts quickly recovering from the jab.

"That was hand-to-hand, and you're like twice my size!" The blonde markswoman argued back.

"I'm only a few inches taller than you?" Granite shakes his head with a grin at the weak excuse.

"I mean your build, smart ass!" Opal shouts, as she slaps him on the shoulder.

Opal and Granite continue arguing, as Daisy makes a face at Leadia and shakes her head at the bickering couple. It pulls out a warming smile and laugh from the purple haired girl, and that in turn forced the same from Daisy as they walked behind the still arguing pair.

The senior team head off shortly after team RWBY, but in the direction of the academy's sparring area to do just that.

* * *

Walking to the cafeteria, Weiss and Blake give Yang an unbelieving stare the whole way, as Ruby gives her a curious one.

"Mind explaining why you bolted with Ruby while she was talking to Opal?" Weiss finally asked after watching Yang's oblivious face for a few, irritating, minutes.

Yang kept up her 'unaware' mask as she arched a brow along with it. "What do you mean? The conversation was over, right? I just wanted to get some food. Aren't you both starving too?"

Weiss and Blake looked at each other, then down to Yang's hand that had yet to let go of Ruby's as she kept walking forward.

Yang's pace was halted though, as her sister stopped in her tracks and took her hand back, no longer letting Yang drag her along.

The group stopped on the path to the cafeteria, at the back of their dorm building. It was mostly quiet, as the only noises were insects and the sound of running water from a nearby fountain. Most of the student body were in-doors at the time, and the ones that weren't were on their way as the day had already come to a close as the shattered moon shone overhead.

"Yang, I wanted to ask the same thing as Weiss. Opal asked me if I wanted to spar with her sometime! Do you have any idea how cool that would be?! Not only being able to spar with a senior, but to see her weapon in action…How could I say no?!" Ruby preached cheerily, not upset at Yang, as she was too busy with the thought of seeing that weapon used in a serious manner.

Noticing that the group wasn't going to drop it, Yang decided to speak up. "I just-…I thought we made plans to spar as a team? Why do you suddenly want to drop that to go hang out with Miss Gun nut? Y-Your team should come first, right?" The blonde shifted her eyes away from the group occasionally, not feeling right about guilt tripping her sister.

' _Oh, good lord!'_ Weiss face-palmed as her suspicions as to why Yang acted this way were now guaranteed. The older sibling was indeed jealous…

"Well, yeah…" Ruby said, unsure what this was about. She had no idea why Yang was acting like the red head was neglecting her duties as team leader. It wasn't like the fledgling was going to leave immediately with Opal to go spar… _'Well, maybe if everyone was cool with it…But Yang's clearly not.'_

Before Ruby could get another word in, Yang grabbed her hand again, with a smile. "Then that settles it! Time to spend some time together as a team!" She then sped off with her girlfriend right behind her, Ruby allowing herself to be led by Yang once again, leaving the monochrome pair to themselves.

"So do you want to tell them, or should I?" Weiss asks Blake with a humorous grin on her lips after the sisters are out of sight. The rich girl didn't have to ask if Blake was aware of what happened. It was pretty apparent to the team that Yang was jealous, well except for Ruby…

Blake smiles back, but shakes her head. "I think we should let them work this out on their own. If things get worse, then we help, but I'm sure Ruby will notice soon enough…" Blake says, but then looks down and thinks about who she's talking about. "…O-Or Yang will realize that she has nothing to be jealous about, I'm sure one of the two will happen."

"We should get going then. They're liable to eat without us." Weiss said as she gestured for Blake to come along. The faunus stepped beside her as she walked in tandem with the heiress, occasionally getting closer and brushing her hand against Weiss' just to mess with her.

As the white haired girl blushed at the public contact, Blake let out a humorous hum and moved her hand away to ease up on the light teasing. That cute reaction from her girlfriend was all she was after for the moment. "It's fine Weiss. No one is around to see us…"

At the new information, Weiss looked down at her feet and a blush started to creep up her neck with an idea. "O-Ok, then…"

Before Blake could ask what that meant, she felt her hand become interlaced with her girlfriend's. Taking no time at all to return the sentiment, Blake smiled at her as she drifted closer into her shoulder, absorbing the comfort that she felt from being close to this girl she knew was nothing like she had originally thought.

* * *

Catching up to Ruby and Yang, Weiss and Blake sat in the cafeteria with them. They had already retrieved their food and were sitting at a table with Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren on the other side, who they met shortly after entering the giant hall of students and food. Of course still being in secretive mode with the rest of the world, the heiress and the faunus stopped hand holding well before entering the grand room.

"Jaune didn't take your relationship status very well at first, I'm afraid." The amazon spoke to Blake and Weiss, quietly, with a light giggle.

The group were currently talking about the, still recuperating, leader of team JNPR. The other team had apparently already informed the blonde boy of his crushes' situation.

"Oh, I'm sure vomit boy will get over it once a certain someone tells him how she feels~." Yang teases, looking directly at Pyrrha. In fact, the whole table was, as the scarlet haired girl blushed her hair color and looked away.

"I-I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Yang! Jaune's my…partner. N-Not that kind of partner though! Y-You know, like Nora and Ren! They're partners!" Pyrrha stumbles through her explanation, digging her hole deeper with every syllable.

"Yeeeah, that doesn't exactly clear you of suspicion, Pyrrha…" Yang drawls out, not really knowing much about the other half of team JNPR, but they seemed really close from what she could tell. Team RWBY give the two a calculating look, wondering if they're also in a situation like Pyrrha and Jaune.

"What!? Psshh…Me and Ren!? That's ridiculous! Sure we've known each other for most of our lives, and we're like super best friends, but that's crazy! You guys are cra-hazy!" Nora cracks an uneasy laugh at the end, shifting borderline terrified eyes around the room.

"Yeaaaah…" Yang draws out, as the rest don't buy it either. Due to Nora's terrible defense and lie, Ren face-palms in embarrassment.

"Sooooo…Relationships aside, how is Jaune's leg doing?" Ruby asks, embarrassed for them as well, wanting to move on from the awkward conversation.

Very thankful for the topic change, Pyrrha smiles at the leader from another team and sighs in relief before answering. "His doctor said he should be attending classes by Wednesday. With the help of crutches of course."

"Well, that's great! Hopefully he hasn't missed too much. You guys should try a group study session like we did to get Yang caught up! It helped a ton, right Yang?" Ruby chirped out, happy to hear such good news for her first friend at Beacon.

"Hm?…Oh, yeah! I even got Weiss' seal of approval for the test tomorrow! I'm golden!" Yang was pulled from her troubling thoughts, and quickly joined the conversation with a pun to finish. She hoped her friends were none the wiser, but 3 people knew of what happened earlier and hadn't let the blonde off the hook that easily.

Weiss and Blake looked at each other, while the other team carried on a conversation with the golden brawler, both already aware of why Yang was lost in thought. Ruby kept her eyes on Yang, though. She knew something was wrong with her sister, but didn't want to bring it up in front of everyone. She decided to wait for later, when they were back at their dorms before broaching the subject.

The vampire's thoughts were scattered though, as Nora pointed at her with demanding and daring eyes. "This isn't fair, Yang! What about you and Ruby, huh?!"

"W-What?! What about us?" Ruby blurts out, terrified that their cover was somehow blown already.

Having been paying attention to what the conversation was about and realizing what Nora was trying to do, Yang easily answered for her sister. "Oh no! You're not redirecting the conversation onto us that easily! What happened last night with you and Ren? You seem pretty tight-lipped about it~."

Giving the blonde a glare for the interruption, Nora recovers with an evil plan. "Ok! We'll talk, but only if you tell us who you two are crushing on!" Nora barters with a cheeky grin, softly laughing at her scheme.

Ruby and Yang blush deep red, as that was the last secret that they were keeping from that side of the table.

"Uhh…" Yang looks over at Ruby to see how she was handling it. Her expectations were met as Ruby kept her glance down at her lap and she was shaking from the pressure.

Sighing after giving Ruby's hand a reassuring squeeze, Yang looked back at Nora with a smirk. "I don't have a crush…"

Ruby's attention flew to Yang as she heard her admission to Nora. So many things were rushing through her head after that. None of them good, as she felt like Yang stabbed her in the heart.

"…I'm already in a relationship, so I don't have a crush." Yang finished with a smug grin, thinking she was the smartest person at the table. Ruby's crestfallen face, that no one noticed, perked up after her secret girlfriend finished her explanation.

"What?! Who?! TELL ME!" Nora roared in jealousy as she pounded the table below her fists.

"That wasn't part of the deal. You asked who my crush is, not who I'm already involved with!" Yang wagged her finger at the orange haired girl.

Grumbling at her defeat, Nora's glance shifted to the red head beside Yang. "Fine then. What about you, Ruby?"

"U-Uhhh…I don't…" Ruby's gaze shifted to Nora and Yang rapidly. What was she supposed to say? She didn't feel like telling the other team about her relationship just yet, not when she was pressured into it, but she also didn't want to lie to the few friends she had.

Yang then gave a nod and comforting smile to her sister, in hopes that she would get the message to copy what she said.

"I uhh…Also already have someone. So no crush here! Hehe…" Ruby laughs as she scratches the back of her head. Yang bumps her shoulder playfully, glad that she got the hint.

"Well there you go, Nora! You have your answers, so what happened with Ren last night~?" Yang asked lowly, wanting to get all the details.

Groaning at being beaten, Nora slammed her hands on the table again. "That wasn't fair! You two cheated! Grrrrrgh…We will get our revenge! Mark my words!" Nora jumped up on the table and pointed at the sisters dramatically, as if she were some evil antagonist from a TV show. "Come on, Ren! We don't have to take this!" The angry ginger grabbed Ren by the arm and stormed off with him as he sent a shrug and a wave to the group, letting himself be taken by the crazy queen of the castle.

The table watches as Nora and Ren leave the hall, only Pyrrha from team JNPR left to talk to the rest. She sighs, shaking her head at her teammate's silly display, before apologizing for her. "I'm sorry about that. Nora is…An interesting person, to say the least. Don't expect her to have given up already on this. She's very persistent when something interests her, so fair warning."

"Eh, it's Ok. I kinda started it anyways by asking what happened with Ren." Yang explained, blowing off the apology, before putting her hands on the table and getting closer to Pyrrha. "By the way…Do **you** know what happened with her and Ren? Come on, Pyr! Are they together-together, or not?"

Pyrrha blushed scarlet at the question, knowing the answer, but she waved her hands in front of herself as she explained. "Th-That's not for me to tell! Sorry, Yang. You'll just have to wait until Nora and Ren want to tell you."

Yang's eyes lit up in mischievousness as Pyrrha said something that caught her intrigue. "So there **is** something that happened! Come on, Pyrrha! Spi-…Oww!" Yang was jabbed in the ribs by her sister beside her before she could press for more information.

"What was that for?!" Yang asked, rubbing her side, giving Ruby a hurt look. It did nothing against the glare from her leader and girlfriend though.

"How about we leave their secrets to them, so we can keep ours to ourselves, Yang?" Ruby asked in an authoritative tone that would suggest that she wasn't asking.

Pouting, Yang begrudgingly accepted the words. "Fine…Sorry, Pyrrha. I won't ask again."

"Hmhmhm…It's alright, Yang." Pyrrha laughed behind her hand, not hurt by the questioning. "I may have wanted to ask you two about what you said earlier, but it seems that you also don't want to talk about it." The scarlet haired warrior gave the sisters a curious stare, still keeping her smile.

The two sisters looked at each other, with different levels of blushing respectively, and knew that they were on the same page. Ruby looked back down, too embarrassed to answer, while Yang looked back to Pyrrha with a nod.

"Yeah. Maybe some other time, though." Yang said with a grin on her lips, as she grabbed Ruby's hand under the table and rubbed her thumb over her sister's knuckles to calm her.

* * *

After a few more minutes of chatting about various things, including what to expect on the upcoming test tomorrow, Pyrrha got up to leave, wanting to visit Jaune for a bit before bed, but was stopped as a voice came on the speakers around the school.

"This is headmaster Ozpin. I know it's getting late, but something has been recently put into place that I must inform you all of. The City of Vale has put forth a curfew for all citizens to be off the streets by 8 PM every day, starting tomorrow." The cafeteria was thrown into an uproar at the news. Teenagers shouting their outrage to be treated as children who needed a bed time. It was then calmed down, as Ozpin called for silence.

"Please, let me explain. This is for your own protection. As I'm sure you are all aware, people have been getting kidnapped off the very streets of Vale. In order to combat this, a curfew will be put in place, for **all** citizens un-exempt, to hopefully stop this. This however, does come with some rules that you all need to hear." Everyone was whispering about the incidents that Ozpin spoke of, some even knowing people who were missing for days now.

"Firstly, if you are a huntsman or huntress, then this does not apply to you at all, as you are proven to be able to take care of yourself. This rule applies to 4th year students and teachers at this school **only**! All other students must be on Academy grounds by 8, or risk suspension for disobeying. However, if you are with your complete team at any year, then the curfew is extended to midnight, as you are safer together." The hall filled with arguments again at the unfair punishment and rules. Team RWBY and Pyrrha held their opinions, just wanting to hear all of what Ozpin was saying.

"Huntsmen and huntresses, along with law enforcement, will be patrolling every street of Vale to check all suspicious people, so don't forget to keep your scrolls with you to prove who you say you are. They are doing this to keep the citizens safe until we can find a way to deal with the persons responsible. This curfew is in place until that time though, so please observe your surroundings, and trust no one that you don't know. Have a good night…" The intercom clicked off and the voices picked up in the cafeteria, as RWBY and Pyrrha made their way out to a quieter area to converse.

* * *

"Wow, I can't believe this. Are things really getting this bad?" Weiss asks her friends.

"If Ozpin is not opposed to this, then I'm sure he thinks it could be." Ruby says, worried for her friends. She looks to Pyrrha with that same worry. "Be careful, if you ever go out. These people are serious business."

Knowing about team RWBY's run in with the kidnappers from the other day, Pyrrha nods with a sure smile. "You as well. I think I'll go check on Jaune. I'm sure he heard that too, so he's probably concerned for us. See you tomorrow in class." The amazon waves as she walks away, marching at a steady pace to the infirmary.

"Well, should we still practice that strategy, or just head to the dorms?" Ruby asks the group, after this new development.

Weiss glanced at the clock in the hallway, wanting to know the time to help with her answer. It read 9:18. "I don't think that's such a good idea. Look at the time. We have school tomorrow, so the dorm rules are lights out at 10. You all agreed, right Yang?" Weiss looks at Yang, having heard from Ruby that Yang was caught up on all the dorm rules.

"Yeah, I got it. Besides the test is tomorrow, can't oversleep for that." The blonde shakes her head, agreeing.

"Good, so that doesn't leave much time to actually try the training idea, not including showering afterwards. I'm not going to sleep covered in sweat. So, leader, what's your decision?" Weiss crosses her arms and looks to Ruby, expecting an answer.

It startles the 15 year old. She wanted everyone to decide together, not tell them what she thought they should do. That was what a leader did though, so she had to say something. "I uhhh…Think we should get some sleep for the test. We can just try it tomorrow, no big deal, right?" Ruby shrugs, just going along with what Weiss said.

"Well alright then. Back to the dorms!" Yang slings an arm over Ruby's shoulder and points forward, as she shouts, causing the heiress to groan.

Ruby giggles at her sister and lets herself be pulled forwards, towards their destination. Blake gives Weiss a comforting hand on the back before she walks past her. Weiss looks at her and sees a sympathetic smile across Blake's face as the dark haired girl shrugs at her.

"W-Wait up!" The heiress calls out, chasing after Blake and the sisters to their dorm.

* * *

"Yang, what's wrong? You were acting weird after we ran into Granite's team. Please, tell me. I want to help!" Ruby asked of her sister finally, since they were alone in their dorm room.

Weiss and Blake had already retired to their own room for the night, and Yang and Ruby did the same thing. Except…

"Uhhh…" Came Yang's response, inches from Ruby's face who was sitting on her bed in her black tank-top and heart pajamas. The brawler was wearing a large white T-shirt with golden letters that spelled "GOLD" on it. It came down to mid-thigh, covering the bare minimum as she only had underwear on besides that. Yang was currently leaning into Ruby to continue where they left off that morning. She had a knee on the bed and her arms were out around Ruby to get closer to her, but she stopped dead at the question.

"Did I do something wrong, Yang?" Ruby asked, worried that she hurt her sister somehow.

The older sister's resolve crumbled at the sad look in her girlfriend's eyes. "No…You didn't do anything wrong, Ruby." Yang swallowed her pettiness of jealousy as she realized Ruby was worried about her the entire night. She wrapped her arms around her leader's waist and laid her head on her stomach. Yang took her leg off the bed to kneel in front of her sister, as she held onto Ruby.

The small vampire smiled down at the blonde in her lap and ran one hand through the golden locks, rubbing her sister's back with the other.

Yang smiled too, for the moment, but it was short lived as she still had more to say. "I'm sorry…Ruby." Yang's quiet voice came out, ashamed.

"Why?" Ruby asked, barely above a whisper, still enjoying the flowing blonde hair surrounding her fingers as she continued softly guiding her digits through her sister's shining locks.

Yang let out a humorous huff before she raised her head to look Ruby in the eyes. "For being an idiot. I was…Jealous of Opal." The blonde said hesitantly, eyes drifting to nowhere in particular. "Seeing you smile at her like that, I guess it just caught me off guard."

Ruby cocked her head to the side as she looked down at her sister, puzzled. "But I'm always smiling at people?"

That caused a short laugh and a grin to rise from the blonde. "That, you do…"

Yang used this opportunity to get up and sit next to the red head on the bed, taking her hand in hers. The brawler leaned on her sister's shoulder, looking ahead with a slight smile that faded as she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I'll get over it. I guess it's just…Now that we're together, I feel even more protective of you-…" Yang felt something restrict around her that stopped her words just as she finished. A head of red and black in her vision, just below her.

Ruby smiled into Yang's shoulder after hearing how much she cared about her. "You don't have to worry about me liking Opal more than you, Yang. And you don't have to apologize for wanting to keep me safe. I f-feel protective of you too. I'd give anything, do anything, to keep you safe beside me." Ruby's smile dropped as she started that last sentence. She had already proven how far she would go during the initiation when her sister was lying bloody and broken in front of two strangers.

The memory still haunted her, how she viciously killed innocent people. Ruby's frightening thoughts were dashed however, as the hand that was over hers let go and a warm arm was placed around her shoulders immediately afterwards.

Holding Ruby closer and kissing the side of her head, Yang smiled at how similar they both were when it came to being protective. "Well, aren't we quite the pair. Let's just hope that that never gets tested, Ok?"

As her older sister joked, Ruby just buried herself further into the comforting shoulder, trying to forget what she did. "I love you, Yang." The vampire murmured.

Yang's joking attitude dropped, her smile turning into one of warmth and compassion. "I love you too, Ruby." She cupped her little sister's cheek, grabbing her attention, as she looked deeply into her silver eyes and saw worry still buried underneath. Wanting to put Ruby's mind at ease, Yang leaned in and captured her lips in a slow, gentle kiss.

The kiss did what Yang wanted it to. Ruby's mind melted as she felt the soft lips of Yang against her own. Ruby gently tugged on Yang's shirt, wanting to deepen the kiss, as Yang wrapped her arms around her sister's neck.

The nightmares faded from Ruby's consciousness as they continued, too enraptured by the woman she loved to care about the past. Right now, Yang was there, and she was going to do everything she could to keep it that way.

Pulling back from Ruby's tender, but still very active lips, Yang had trouble getting her breath under control as her lungs screamed for air. Ruby kept going in for more pecks, which Yang accepted, but as much as she wanted to continue and see where this led, she had to check something.

"R-Ruby, wa-wait for just a-a second." Yang asked of her sister, as she accepted each of the interrupting kisses. After Ruby complied with a pout, and shoved her head into the blonde's chest with a hug, Yang picked up her scroll on the bed, as she put an arm around her sister to hug back, and looked at the time. It was almost half past ten, and they still weren't asleep like they were supposed to be.

"Ruby, we should really get to sleep. It's past the curfew that we set as a team, and as much as I want to stay up all night making out, we have a test tomorrow." Yang explains, starting to get her breath back.

Still in her sister's cleavage, Ruby groans out her understanding, not happy about it. "You're right…C-Can…Never mind…" The fledgling mumbles out, as she lets go of Yang to get situated better in the bed.

"What?" Yang hears it and smirks at Ruby's sudden shyness after that heated kiss that the red head seemed to be a pretty big participant in.

Blushing, the vampire repeated herself and continued with the question she had yet to fully ask. "C-Can I…H-Hold you tonight?"

Again, Yang froze as she was just getting on the same bed that night, next to Ruby. A light blush came to the blonde's face from the bold question asked by her little sister. "I…I don't know…Why can't we just sleep face to face, like we do all the other nights?" Yang wasn't opposed to the idea, but she also wanted to have her arms around Ruby, like they both usually did when they slept.

"I-I…I just want to hold you that way. I want to p-protect you too…Can I?" Ruby asked hesitantly, as she grabbed Yang's hand and looked into her eyes.

"Sure. That's fine, Ruby. No harm in trying, I guess…" Yang sends her a smile, as she lays down in the covers facing away from her girlfriend. She uses her scroll to turn off the light in the room and sets it down on the nightstand.

Ruby grins back at her sister, and gets under the covers after Yang. She slides in behind the blonde, her body going flush with the bigger one. This sends a pleasant shiver down Yang's spine as she feels Ruby pressed up against her back. Yang can feel her sister's breath near her ear, the girl's presence encircling the blonde, almost choking her, but in a good way. Ruby puts a hand on Yang's inner hip to help her shift into a better position and it causes her older sister's breathe to hitch in her throat. The sensitive area being caressed in the dark sends a slight tingle throughout Yang's lower region and she twitches.

Not noticing Yang's predicament, Ruby continues to get into a better position. Her arms wrap around Yang's waist and pull her closer, clutching the blonde to herself. The fledgling's legs brush up against the brawlers', feeling her soft, bare, limbs as they get tangled with one another. Ruby's head is buried in her golden locks, breathing in the citrus scent that she has always found heavenly.

The red head leaves a few kisses on Yang's shoulder before going back to the forest of gold. "Night, Yang…I love you, and I have you…" Ruby quietly whispers, flexing her arms around her sister to keep her closer.

Yang smiles into the darkness, getting over the heat in her face from her girlfriend's delicate touch. She laces a group of her fingers with one from her little sister's around her waist and brings it up to place a kiss softly upon the knuckles. "You surely do…Good night, sis."

The two fell into a quiet and peaceful slumber, as Yang felt safe in her sister's arms and Ruby was treated to having the blonde all to herself.

* * *

It was mid-day, a few days after Weiss was put in the hospital, in an unknown forest east of the kingdom of Vale. Two humanoids were making their way down a trail, seemingly to nowhere in particular. The air around them was quiet and peaceful, aside from the occasional gentle breeze that cut past the pair.

As it was fall, the trees were shedding their brown and green leaves as the young man and woman continued on the path. The grey haired man put his hands on his head as boredom was getting to him. He glanced to his right, at the girl beside him and looked her up and down. A smirk formed on his lips.

"You know, it's getting colder. I'm surprised that, with what you're wearing, I don't see you… 'At attention'." He made air quotes as he finished, putting his hands back up on his head after he received a reaction like he wanted.

The red eyed girl sent him a glare, but huffed out her irritation as she rolled his eyes at the stupid remark. "Dumbass. We're undead, a little breeze isn't going to become a problem. And if you could stop looking at my chest like a creep, that would be much appreciated."

"Please, you know you want this..." The other red eyed humanoid gestured to his body with an award winning smirk. "Why else would you keep that get-up when you knew we would be alone together for several days, Em?" He sent her another look-over, pausing at her cleavage and midriff, liking what he sees.

"Eww. Just, Eww." The girl sent him a disgusted grimace, covering her chest with her arms. "Cinder gave me these clothes when she brought me back, Ok? They're the only ones I own. And don't call me that. I don't do nicknames, especially not with you." Emerald looked away from him as she finished, tired of her 'partner' on this mission that was lasting too long for her tastes. They haven't even found what they were looking for, yet.

"Ohh~. Calling her Cinder now. What happened to mistress~? Problems in the bedroom?" The lecherous jerk continued with his giant, unwavering smirk. He chuckled at her as she whipped back to look at him, a small blush building on her infuriated face.

"Do you EVER shut up, Mercury?!" Emerald sighs heavily, tired of his mere presence. "Besides. You call her that, too! We don't have a choice in her presence anyways…We must obey…"

"Tshh! Don't remind me…" The male ghoul clicked his tongue, kicking the dirt in annoyance. A metallic clang coming from the agitated impact in the dirt. "I would have been better off staying dead after my dad went full crazy on me…"

Hearing the aggravation in his voice, Emerald looked back at him, not knowing much at all about the other ghoul. "Your **dad** killed you? Shit, and I thought my situation was fucked up…"

"Yep! After I tried to run away from him for taking my legs from me." He bent down and knocked on his right leg, a hollow echo resonating from his metal limb. "Evil genius saw me as a perfect guinea pig for his prosthetic experiments." He let out a breath as he was finished with what he was comfortable with reliving about his past in front of the person that barely counted as an acquaintance.

The female ghoul looked down, pondering what to say to that, if anything at all. Knowing that even a creep like him didn't deserve to go through hell like that, only to end up with the likes of Cinder. Emerald closed her eyes and sighed through her nose in resignation. "Look, I'm sor-…"

The girl's sympathetic response was cut short as movement came from the bush to their left. The two got into a fighting stance, expecting the potential grimm to show up, as they were a long way from the kingdom.

They were only half right with that suspicion though, as the white, black, and red grimm mask of a White Fang scout came out of the brush. Ram horns curling over the top of the monstrous mask, signaled the person to be a ram faunus, as he kneeled on one leg with his head bowed in front of the pair.

"Forward scouts have found something. This way, if you please." The faunus raised his head back up after his report and gestured north for them to follow him further into the thick forest.

"After you~." Mercury put his hand out in the same direction of the scout for his companion to go first. He had a grin this time, not a full blown smirk like usual, happy to finally have something to do. That didn't stop him from flirting with Emerald though.

"Whatever…" The green haired undead muttered, rolling her eyes at him. She couldn't help the upward turn of her lip though, as she faced away from the boy, and ran after the scout. Mercury was not far behind her.

* * *

 **Aww...Em and Mercury are having a great time. Wonder what they're up to though? :p**

 **By the way, I know that Em was there when Cinder recruited Mercury in the show, but I turned things around a bit. Since a ghoul has to die first, Marcus Black, the father of the year, killed his son for trying to run away with his 'gift'. Cinder showed up alone, not needing anyone with her, and dealt with both of them as she saw fit. If you have questions about this, I can answer the ones that aren't spoiling anything, as some things may come up later. I'm still fleshing out a few things with his origin right now though.**

 **Can't forget about how Yang was jealous, now can we? I loved how she was the jealous one, but Ruby ended up as the clingy one as they slept. xD**

 **So we had some Renora action in this chapter too. Something went down the night previously it sounds like. Something that even Nora was too embarrassed to tell the group about! Crazy, Cra-hazy! Someone might say!**

 **Anyways, I think I might update "Pieces" next since that hasn't been updated in a while. I think I have an idea on what to write for the next chapter with that, so until then, peace!**


	28. The Arrival Part 1

**Gahh! It's been a while, I know. Trust me, I wish I was able to update more frequently. I have two good stories that I haven't been able to touch yet because I have no time to plan them. But you guys don't want to hear about that, you want the next chapter! Well, here you go! This is the first part of a big chapter. This is basically the turning point of this story. The plot picks up from her on out, instead of a whole bunch of fluffy angst stuff. I think I spent enough time on relationships. What chapter are we on again? Oh yeah, 28! xD**

* * *

Chapter 28: The Arrival Part 1

Ruby awoke from her slumber with a cute yawn. She tried to raise up and rub at her tired eyes, but felt something restraining her. Looking down, the fledgling vampire could see two arms encircling her waist, keeping her pressed to something delightfully warm. _'Yang…'_ Ruby thought with an adoring smile on her face as she closed her eyes again, trying to enjoy her girlfriend's embrace for as long as she was given.

That was until something occurred to her in that moment. _'Wait…wasn't I…?'_

"Yaaaang!" Ruby whined out with a hint of drowsiness in her voice.

"Hmmh~?" Yang softly hummed back, not fazed in the slightest by her sister's complaint, as she just held tighter.

"I wanted to hold you last night! Why did you flip us?" Ruby asked as she turned her head to stare at Yang with a pout.

The pout was entirely unnecessary as Yang caved immediately with an apology. "Oh…Sorry, sis. I don't even remember doing it." The blonde said with a yawn before taking her arm back to rub nervously at her wild mane. She then adopted a playful grin as she stared at Ruby, so close and vulnerable…

"What can I say~? I guess I just needed my… Cuddles!" Yang then pounced on her girlfriend and tickled her in a firm grasp as Ruby tried to squirm out of her grapple-like hold. Ruby giggled as she rolled over, trying to get out of her sister's clutches. Yang followed with a smirk on her face, not giving up so easily, as she laughed along with her sister.

The merriment then ended abruptly when Ruby and Yang noticed that the older sister was on top, with the red head's arms pinned out to the sides of her head. They locked eyes and Ruby's face turned a deep shade of red as she was held firmly by Yang, whose face was inches from her own. The blonde looked longingly into her sister's eyes as her breath picked up in anticipation of the unknown.

"Y-Yang…" Ruby's breath hitched as she felt her girlfriend shift against her stomach, who was still only wearing a shirt and panties. There was a touch of questioning and worry in the vampire's voice, and her sister picked up on it.

"Yeah…?" Yang softly answered, leaning closer to Ruby's lips as her eyes shifted from the silver orbs to her desired destination.

* **Bang** *

A thunderclap broke out through the dorm room as the door was thrown open and into the wall with a clatter, stopping the older sister in her tracks.

"Ruby! Yang! We're going to b-…! W-What are you two doing?!" Weiss barged into the room, ready to reprimand the other half of the team for sleeping in late on a Monday, but paused with a fierce blush that beat out Ruby's when she discovered the two in such a provocative position.

The heiress turned around as fast as she was able, not wanting to see any more than she already had, lest she need therapy for the trauma. Who knew how far they had already gone before the interruption?

"Weiss?! Why didn't you knock!?" Ruby screamed out in embarrassment as she shoved Yang off her and pulled the covers up to hide her already clothed body.

Too busy with the surprise of Weiss barging in unannounced, Yang was caught off guard and fell off the bed from her sister's push with a thump. "Oww…"

Still not turning around in fear she may see something she couldn't un-see, Weiss answered with an ever-present blush on her neck and cheeks. "We're going to be late for class you dolts! Th-That rule doesn't apply in emergencies! So get decent and hurry up, or-or we'll leave you behind!" Weiss then slammed the door closed and hurried back to her shared room with Blake, trying to forget what she thought she just walked in on.

With the loud, white haired girl gone, Yang reached up and pulled herself from the ground that she was pushed to. She glanced up to Ruby and saw her visibly relax with an exhale of uneasy breath. Yang smirked at her adorably shy sister and sat beside her, bringing her into a sideways hug.

"What was with that reaction, sis? All we did was wrestle a bit? Or did you have something… **Else** on your mind~?" Yang asked teasingly, as she put in a sensual tone at the end.

Ruby sputtered and blushed bright red at the insinuation. She tried to change the subject with the first thing that popped up in her head. "W-We, We need to shower!"

It was Yang's turn to blush, as her jaw dropped, mistaking the innocence for something less so at the bold claim from her shy sister. "U-Uh-…"

"We need to get ready for class! You didn't spend all day yesterday studying to miss the test in Ooblec's class!" Ruby further explained, getting up from the bed to get her uniform ready.

"O-Oh, right! Y-You meant separately…" Yang fumbled. A little disappointment in her voice had eaked out, and her little sister picked up on it.

"What did you think I meant?" The leader asked innocently as she turned around at the bathroom door to glance at her sister still on the bed.

Yang's nervous frown turned up into a smirk, ready to tease her sister with the simple set up that Ruby gave her. "Well…We could always shower together~?" Yang snickered, covering her mouth as she could just imagine her Ruby's blushed face. When nothing but silence answered the older sister however, Yang gave a curious glance her way, standing in front of the bathroom. "Ruby?"

"I mean…It **would** save us time…" Ruby mumbled quietly, almost too quietly for Yang to hear.

"It's fine Ruby. I was jus- **Wait, what**?!" Yang had already figured in her mind that Ruby would say no, but as the words were processed, the younger sister's agreeance broke her, as Yang stood up, baffled at what she heard.

"I'll see you inside!" Ruby blurted out, her face as red as the cloak in her arms as she bolted into the bathroom, too embarrassed to face the conversation a second longer.

"Seriously…What?" Yang asked the empty room. She shakes off her stupor though, not letting her embarrassment get the better of her, and walks after her sister, forced determination on her face. _'I can do this…'_

* * *

As Yang entered the Grand sized bathroom, her meager determination was crushed as she heard the shower click on and a silhouette of Ruby's naked body was visible behind the pre-fogged glass door.

Blushing as she watched the figure bend down to wash her legs, Yang tugged at her shirt nervously. "R-Ruby, are you sure about this? I can go a day without a shower to make it to class. I-It's no big deal…"

"Th-That's not fair to you though, Yang. B-Besides, it's not like we haven't seen each other…L-Like this before…" Ruby muttered weakly, as she stood back up and clasped her hands behind her back, kicking at the small puddle of water that formed at the drain, nervous as she was naked with Yang just on the other side of the shower door.

While that was true, Yang felt like the times they saw each other before didn't count, as they were much younger and less…Developed. The older sister had only ever caught slight glimpses of Ruby not fully dressed, but never recently nude. The blonde's blush was back in full force as Ruby ran her hands through her hair under the shower head, unknowingly giving Yang an unclear view of her budding chest as she arched her back.

"A-Alright then, Ruby…" Yang replied, having to clear her throat as she made up her mind, taking off her shirt and panties to join her girlfriend.

Ruby's eyes were closed as she washed out her soaped hair, hearing Yang's reply, but thinking nothing of it. At least, that was before she heard the shower door slide open and closed, followed by a warm body pressing into her back and two arms wrapping around her waist.

Silver eyes snapped open as she looked back at warm lilac. "Y-Yang! I-mmh!" Ruby became much more nervous as she felt Yang's naked, pleasantly warm, body against hers, but as she hesitated to express that, she was silenced by her girlfriend's lips. The nervousness faded into oblivion as Yang and Ruby kissed over the smaller girl's shoulder.

Ruby reached a hand back to hold the blonde's cheek, deepening the kiss. The vampire slowly turned around in Yang's arms for a better position, feeling their bodies press closer as a tingling warmth spread through her. She opened her mouth to send her tongue into Yang's, but as soon as her mouth was made accessible, the blonde's tongue snaked in, having waited long enough for the chance to go wild with the partner making a home in the other cavern. Ruby let out a muffled moan as Yang tied a knot with their tongues in her mouth. It was soon turned into a yelp as Yang's hand traveled down her back to grab her small, heart-shaped bottom.

Yang chuckled lowly as she pulled out of the kiss with Ruby, who was breathing heavily. "What? Too much~?" She questioned tauntingly, with a touch of seriousness under the surface, but Ruby only ever heard the taunt as she gave a half-hearted glare, before her eyes hesitatingly traveled down the body in front of her.

Neither girl could help their eyes grazing over their love's bodies, as they were given such a golden opportunity. Yang's hand never left Ruby's butt as she gazed down at the shorter girl's body in her arms. Admiring the subtle curves of the still developing body and especially the well-formed abdominal muscle that was nearly identical with her own.

Ruby's gaze lingered on the D-cup spheres of soft flesh conveniently at eye level for a moment too long, as Yang's smirk signified that she was very much aware of what she was ogling at. Now reminded of the earlier tease by the look the blonde gave her, Ruby felt embarrassment rush over her as she looked back down to hide her shame, only to get even more embarrassed at what she saw.

Hearing Yang's chuckle as Ruby whined out her uncomfortableness, the fledgling gave a soft grumble before locking eyes with Yang determinedly. _'Let's see how you like being teased, Yang.'_ Ruby put her arms around Yang's shoulders to secure herself to the taller girl and leapt up to lock her legs around the blonde's waist in an instant, giving no warning other than the fierce determined stare.

"Woah!" Yang shouted in surprise as she nearly fell down from the sudden extra body requiring her support, but braced herself against the back of the shower with an arm as the other held Ruby reflexively by the small of her back.

"Too much~?" Ruby teased back in an innocent tone as she had a grin on her face.

Yang hesitated for a beat, not expecting dear, sweet Ruby to behave in such a way, but regained her composure as she gave a grin of her own. _'Well, I guess I don't have to worry about her not being ready for this then…Wh-Whatever_ _ **this**_ _is…'_ Yang thought with confusion and a touch of fear, as she wasn't even sure if she was ready for what could happen in this very moment. She pressed past the troubled thoughts though, as Ruby was smiling at her and in her arms. What could be wrong about this?

"Oh, you asked for it, Rubes~." Yang said with half-lidded eyes as she gained her composure and found her balance again. She gripped the back of Ruby's head with her newly freed hand, and smashed their lips together in a heated, intense kiss.

Both of the girls soon forgot the reason they were showering together, too enraptured with the feel of the other body pressed almost painfully close to their own. Yang gripped Ruby tighter and walked her forward to the wall underneath the showerhead, not stopping the kiss as she pressed her girlfriend into it. The maneuver gave Yang a bit more leverage and freedom to send her hands all across Ruby's tender body to explore, and that's exactly what she did.

Ruby let out a squeak as she was pressed to the wall, only for the noise to be accompanied by several more as Yang's calloused, but slender fingers danced on the surface of Ruby's more sensitive areas.

"Yang…" Ruby moaned out as she pulled back from the kiss, trying to catch her breath. Her breather was further delayed however, as Yang took it away once again, attacking the younger girl's neck with her mouth, tongue, and teeth. _'Is…Is that what it feels like…?'_ Ruby thought dreamily as she tilted her head back to give Yang a better position at her throat.

"Yaaaang…" Ruby whined Yang's name again, the latter smirking in the former's neck as she reveled in her love's sweet voice and tightening grip that she was the cause of, not comprehending just what it was that she was doing to the smaller girl in her grasp.

She couldn't take it anymore, she just had to have her now…

Silver turned to crimson as her previous moan died off into a growl and she dug her nails into the blonde's back, keeping her in place as she opened her mouth as wide as possible, sinking her fangs into the beautiful bare shoulder before her, ripe for the taking.

"Gah!" Yang shrieked in surprise as her shoulder was bitten into and claws were raked down her back. Her body jerked at the pain and the fangs sunk deeper in response, commanding her to be still or it will only hurt more. "R-Ruby…" Yang moaned weakly as something was ignited inside her at the pain of Ruby drinking deeply of her blood.

As quickly as the fire was started however, it was snuffed out just as fast, when Ruby was pulled out of her blood lust by her sister's voice calling her name. The fledgling pulled her fangs away in shock and tried to force herself off of Yang, unaware of what had happened after feeling Yang on her neck.

"Yang! What-…!" Ruby's sudden jerk from Yang and the wet surface she was standing on caused the blonde to lose her balance before Ruby could ask any further and they both fell to the bath floor with Ruby atop Yang.

"Oww…Second time I've fallen and hit my head this morning, thanks to you…" Yang muttered quietly as she winced at the throbbing pain on the back of her head.

"Y-Yang…I'm sorry. I hurt you again, didn't I?" Ruby mumbled out. She hid her face in the blonde's neck, trying to hug the prone girl beneath her as an apology.

Yang accepted the hug with a small smile, wrapping her arms around the saddened girl. "I'm fine, Ruby… I just slipped, is all."

Ruby glanced over at the still bleeding shoulder and sighed internally as she knew that Yang was lying to make her feel better. She leaned over the crimson colored shoulder and started to lick at it, slowly sealing the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Mmmh…" Yang whimpered out pleasantly as Ruby put her mouth on her shoulder again, sucking at the wound. She noticed that instead of it aggravating the opened wound, Ruby's attentiveness seemed to soothe it, even adding a bit of pleasure to the slowly closing bite in her shoulder.

As Ruby gave a final lick to seal the bite closed, she started to get off Yang to apologize again. "Yang, I'm sorr-Mmh!"

Yang cut her off before she could though, stealing her lips as she rose up to meet Ruby, who was still straddling her legs, and placed her hands on the younger girl's hips to keep her close. As she broke the kiss to see Ruby's undoubtedly cute reaction, she smiled at her sister's half lidded eyes.

"St-Stop doing that…" Ruby mumbled with very little meaning behind the words.

Yang licked her lips, tasting her own blood from Ruby's lips. It gave the kiss a strange but not un-pleasant flavor as Yang's smile turned to a smirk at her sister's words. "Doing what?"

"You keep kis-Mmh!" Yang pecked her lips again, stopping Ruby's words before they formed. "You did it again!" Ruby pouted at her older sister, who giggled in reaction to her cute upset face.

Mirth on her lips and compassion in her eyes, Yang cupped Ruby's cheek softly and stared into her silver orbs as her laugh settled into a loving smile as if to say there was nothing to apologize for. "I love you."

Ruby tried to keep her pout and perturbed attitude after the sincere admission from her girlfriend, but it proved impossible as she lowered her head under Yang's chin to hide away with a quiet, grumpy squeak.

"I love you, too…" Ruby said back, only with a bit of reluctance after the constant teasing from her sister.

Yang laughed again at the childish mannerism and slowly pulled Ruby closer to whisper into her ear. "You don't sound very sincere~…"

"Yang…" Ruby grumbled into her sister's neck.

"No, seriously. I might have to test you on just how much you love me~." Yang said with an amount of seriousness that was less than what she had stated.

A word struck a chord in Ruby's mind from her sister's teasing however, and she raised her head in a rush to stare at her. "Yang! The test! We still aren't ready for classes!"

The teasing nature of Yang switched off in that moment as the words from Ruby hit her like a car. "Oh, crap!" Yang jumped up, making sure not to throw Ruby to the floor, and got out of the shower to go grab her towel and clothes.

Ruby followed in her footsteps, once set down and able to turn off the shower, as she burst into a cloud of rose petals and a red towel disappeared from the rack, only to reappear in her hands as she was freshly dried off.

"H-How much time do we have?!" Ruby asked, panic in her voice as she glanced at her sister slipping on her clothes.

"I don't know, I didn't bring my scroll in here! Did you?!" The taller sister asked with wide eyes as she started to button up her school uniform under shirt.

"One sec!" Ruby burst into rose petals once more after pulling on her underwear and zoomed into their dorm bedroom to check the time. She came right back as Yang was using her semblance to quickly dry her hair. "We have 2 minutes! We'll never make it to Ooblec's class in time! That's on the other side of campus!"

Yang's worry vanished as she turned to Ruby when an idea struck her. "Normally no, but if **someone** had a super speed semblance and the ability to carry 10 of me…?"

Ruby stood perfectly straight and still as the words ran through her head. Finally they clicked and she smacked her own forehead in realization of the obvious. "I'm such an idiot!"

Yang laughed at the outburst before glancing down at Ruby's attire with a slight blush, her gaze affixing to certain areas as the panic had started to settle. Ruby took the hint and looked over herself, blushing as well as she realized that she was still only in her underwear.

"Y-Yang! Don't look!" Ruby nervously shouted as she turned around.

Yang just smirked as she was given the full view of her girlfriend's small but well-toned body. "You say that, but then you show me your ass. Mixed signals here, Rubles." Yang said with a laugh as she just knew that Ruby was blushing something fierce.

An embarrassed whine came out of the shorter girl as Yang kept staring at her. Wasting no more time, Ruby activated her semblance to quickly clothe herself before scooping up a still giggling Yang in her arms and rushed out the door, all while maintaining a blush that Yang just loved to be the cause of.

* * *

"I told them we would leave them behind." Weiss grumbled to Blake who sat beside her in Ooblec's class.

Class was 1 minute from starting and the pair were staring at the door, very hopeful that the rest of their team would show up on time before getting in trouble.

"You know, you never told me when I asked you earlier what happened when you went to go wake them up?" Blake asked quietly with a subtle smile, already having formed a pretty good idea of what the heiress walked in on by the look on her face when she came back to the room.

Just as Weiss turned to answer that with an affronted expression accompanied by a deep red blush, the door to the classroom burst open with a red streak sailing onward and into the far wall, unable to stop in time.

A loud crash boomed from the collision as two bodies were then made visible by the sudden halt. Ruby had her back to the damaged wall as her head was spinning in a daze with Yang in her lap.

"Yang…You Ok?" Ruby asked with a dazed tone after shaking her head from the impact.

Ruby didn't realize how fast she was going until she tried to stop once they reached the classroom, but by that point it was much too late and she knew they were going to crash. Thinking literally on her feet, the red head had managed to turn them both just as she collided with the wall and let her aura take the impact, wanting to keep Yang from going head first into the barrier.

"I should be asking you that…" Yang softly laughed before giving Ruby a look over to make sure she was Ok. "How's your back?"

Ruby smiled in relief as her sister seemed unharmed, but before she could put Yang's worry away as well, they were both interrupted by someone clearing their throat right above them.

"Ahem. Miss Rose, Miss Xiao Long. While you did make it to my class on time, you are still out of your seats. I suggest you take them now, thank you!" Doctor Ooblec said at his normal hypersonic speed, before he zipped back to his desk and gathered the test papers for today's class. Not caring in the slightest that there is now a sizeable crater in the side of the classroom.

"Hehe…Right…" Ruby chuckled nervously, as she got up with Yang. The sisters then made their way to their seats, trying to ignore the eyes of the class glancing at them in wonder by their destructive entrance. Ruby abashadly smiled at the students watching her and her sister, nervous from all the attention.

"What took you two so long?" Blake asked, very curious to find out if her suspicions of this morning were true. By Ruby's blush and Yang's nervousness, the faunus had her answer as neither of the sisters seemed to want to answer her question. "…I see…" Blake ended with a slight smile.

"Wh-What does that mean? See what?" Ruby asked quietly, terrified that their situation this morning was figured out already.

Blake just laughed quietly in response as Ooblec started the class, handing out the test papers to the students.

* * *

The test started out easy as pie to the 4 girls that had spent a good portion studying the day before. But as time went on, a certain blonde kept finding herself staring out of the corner of her eye at the small vampire girl beside her. Yang would lose track of how long she was staring at Ruby's adorable face as she would think hard on a question before figuring it out and light up with joy as she wrote down her answer. Ruby was sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth as she concentrated and Yang went back to their time in the shower only a few minutes ago, remembering when that very same tongue was licking at her shoulder...

Yang put a hand on the same shoulder subconsciously, and shivered as the moments were replayed in her head. _'What was that…Feeling…Before I slipped and fell…? It hurt, but…'_ Yang was snapped out of her thoughts as Ooblec yelled to the class that there were only 10 minutes left.

Yang jumped slightly at the sudden voice and glanced down at her test for the first time in a while. She was over half way done, but still several questions from completing the test proper. _'How long was I spaced out for?!'_ Yang thought dismally as she picked up her pen again and hurriedly tried to finish in time.

* * *

"Pens down everyone! Bring your papers here to my desk on your way out to your next class! I'll get your grades to you as soon as I am able today. Good day!" Ooblec instructed as the class bell rang out that they were out of time.

Yang worriedly placed her mostly finished test down on his desk as the team did the same on their way out. While Yang was confident in the questions she did answer on the history test, not having fully completed it made her worry for all the time and effort her teammates had gone through to get her ready.

"How do you think you did, Yang?" Ruby asked cheerily while the group was out in the hall, making their way to the next class.

"I-I don't know? How 'bout you?" Yang quickly changed the subject with a smile. She sighed in relief, internally, as Ruby seemed to not notice her reluctance to answer.

"I got stuck a few times. Some of those questions were a bit confusing..." Ruby said as she skipped next to Yang in the hallway, Weiss and Blake on the other side of Yang.

"Maybe **someone** should have gotten some proper rest instead of wh-whatever it was you two were doing this morning…" Weiss grumbled out quietly, not wanting other students to hear their conversation.

""N-Nothing happened!" Ruby made an X-shape with her arms as she blushed in remembrance of how they were found this morning.

"So you two were late to class, why then?" Weiss reiterated for Blake, who had asked the same question earlier, with an elegant eyebrow raised.

Ruby went to answer with a finger raised, but dropped it quickly as her blush intensified, unable to answer the question without humiliating herself and her sister with the details.

"Thought so…" Weiss said with a smile as they turned a corner, continuing to the next class.

* * *

With classes over, the team had decided to take a trip to Vale, before curfew was enacted, to celebrate the team's passing grades on the test.

It wasn't long after the last class when Ooblec made it back to them with their grades over the group's scrolls. The team had all made A's except one who had been distracted throughout half of the class. Yang happily told the team that she made a B-, even after all the sweating she endured, worrying about a bad score. And while Blake and Ruby were happy for her, someone as expectant as Weiss gave her an earful once Yang told them she lost focus during the test.

"I still passed, Ok? Lay off, will ya?" Yang complained as Weiss wouldn't get off her case about the 'pitiful grade'.

The group was almost to the docks, trying to catch a ride to Vale, when Ruby and Yang spotted someone familiar. Someone with red eyes and a black cape hiding a sword on the small of their back.

"Uncle Qrow!?" Ruby was on his arm in an instant with a simple, 'hi', as she smiled at her uncle.

"Well hey kiddo, you're certainly in a better mood than the last time I saw you…Something happen?" The unexpectedly sharp man asked as he glanced at a similarly cheery Yang from a now blushing Ruby. _'Well, I guess things worked out for them then…'_

"Hey, Qrow." Yang said simply as she approached her uncle with Weiss and Blake beside her.

"So this is the one who taught Ruby to fight with such an unwieldy weapon?" Weiss asked as she took in the man's appearance, not impressed by his scruffy, rugged look.

"Hey, firecracker, Ice Queen." Qrow smirked as Weiss huffed indignantly while asking under her breath, how everyone knows to call her that. "And it's not an **unwieldy** weapon if you know how to wield it properly."

"Yeah!" Ruby chanted as she hopped off Qrow's arm to give him a low-five while still looking at her partner.

"Qrow, these are our teammates. Blake here's my partner, and the Ic-…" Yang began to introduce the team to their family member, stopping at Weiss as the same girl interrupted her in aggravation.

"My name is Weiss Schnee, not Ice Queen!"

"Right, sure. Weiss here is Ruby's partner." Yang said, snickering behind her hand at getting a rise out of the heiress.

" **The** Weiss Schnee! Oh, your presence honors us…" Qrow mocked a bow with a sarcastic tone directed at the heiress.

"Now I definitely see the family resemblance!" Weiss bit out at the red eyed huntsman and the brawler, before realizing something about what he said. "Wait, how do you know how to greet fellow members of the Schnee family?"

"Let's just say that you're not the **original** Ice Queen. How **has** Winter been doing these days?" Qrow said with a knowing smile.

"How do **you** know my sister? She would never deal with such a ruffian!" Weiss shouted, appalled that her perfect older sister would even bother with such a scoundrel to be in the same place as him.

"Why don't you ask her that the next time you see her?" Qrow's smile turning into a smirk as he held back a laugh at the heiress' nomenclature.

Blake had to step in as Weiss was about to burst at the disrespect and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. Weiss let out a huff as she turned away from the huntsman with her arms crossed, relenting for the moment as she was reminded that she was blowing up in front of her girlfriend.

"Uhm, it was nice meeting you, I guess? We'll go on ahead while you catch up with your uncle." Blake said as she turned around and led a muttering Weiss away from the affliction of ire. "Come on, Weiss. I'll even let you pick me out one of those entirely impractically long dresses for me to wear that you were talking about earlier."

"Really?! You changed your mind?" And just like that, Weiss was smiling again, almost giddy to have Blake try out a more elegant form of attire that she had asked of, only to be shot down earlier.

"It…Wouldn't hurt…Much…" Blake said slowly, as she thought she would look absolutely ridiculous in such an outfit. She had been in fancy dresses before, growing up as basically royalty in Menagerie, but as she grew up in the turning of the White Fang, that peaceful time of her life changed, leaving no room for such things. It just wasn't her anymore. As she saw Weiss' face light up in excitement however, she also grew a bit more animated along with her girlfriend, as they made their way to a ship.

* * *

After waving bye to each other, the team split into two, leaving Ruby and Yang with Qrow, who had yet to stop staring at the sisters interrogatingly.

"Sooo…Who confessed to who?" Qrow broke the ice with a giant oversized scythe, as the black and white duo had safely walked out of earshot. He took a drink as he let the question sink into the sisters, a smirk hidden behind his flask.

"H-How did you know?!" Ruby asked, perplexed and embarrassed as to how he figured it out so quickly.

"Because Yang no longer has that look of reluctant longing when she glances at you. Now, it's more like hung-mmhm…!" Qrow started to answer as Yang rushed the man, covering his mouth before he said something to mortify both herself and Ruby.

"S-So what if I look hungry, uncle Qrow! Hehe…I haven't eaten anything all day, because we were late to class this morning! Heheh…" Yang answered fast, covering her tracks as best she could before Ruby realized what they were really talking about.

"That's true. It was one of the reasons we were going into Vale in the first place…" Ruby thought out loud, too innocent to catch on to what Qrow or Yang really meant.

Qrow gave a deadpanned look to Ruby then to Yang for not having released his mouth already. He removed her hand from his mouth with little effort, twisting her wrist for good measure as she winced and turned around with the motion to try and lessen the pain.

"You still haven't answered my question…" Qrow finally released the blonde and she stumbled away next to Ruby, holding her wrist, irked that he dealt with her so easily. The anger vanished as the blonde started to think of his question again.

"I guess, I did…Ruby thought that something was going on between me and Blake, my partner, and when we talked it out…I confessed." Yang explained, a relishing smile on her face as she recalled a few nights ago when they finally became a couple.

Qrow groaned and covered his face with his hand. "Really, Ruby? After that display in Ozpin's office, you still couldn't tell her?"

"I-I was getting to it! She…Just beat me to it…" Ruby squawked indignantly before muttering lowly, embarrassed.

"Well, either way. 'Bout time, you two! I don't think I could have handled another visit seeing either of you looking at each other so sadly." Qrow gave them a laugh, but a sincere smile, as he was truly happy for them.

"Oh, shut up! We weren't that bad!" Yang punched him in the shoulder with a grin.

The tall man shrugged it off as he smiled back. "Oh, yeah? Then what about the time that I came home from a mission late at night and saw Ruby crying on the couch because you hadn't come home that night? She was so worried and sad because she didn't get to see her **beloved** sister that day!" Qrow said in a mocking voice before he was tackled to the ground by a red bullet.

"Uncle Qrow?!" Ruby shrieked in embarrassment as she started hammering her tiny, but very effective, fists into his chest as payback.

"Ow! OWW! Kid! I get it, enough!" At Qrow's annoyance, Ruby finally relented and got off of him. He shortly followed and got up as well, giving himself a quick dust off. "Geeze. I sometimes forget just how strong you are, pipsqueak." Qrow sent her a cocked smile, as Ruby pouted at the demeaning nickname.

"Maybe that will teach you to stop embarrassing me, then!" Ruby yelled at him, still upset from being outed in such an embarrassing moment.

"Nah." Qrow said simply, before taking a drink from his flask.

Breaking from her laughter at the situation in front of her, Yang thought it about time to ask what Qrow was really here for. "Hey, Qrow. Maybe you could take a minute from killing you liver and tell us why you're actually here? I doubt it's to just catch up with your two favorite nieces…"

Grunting from the hard burn of the liquor in the metal container, Qrow wiped his mouth before answering. "Alright. I guess I can hold off on embarrassing the both of you for a bit." The tall man gave a teasing smile before clearing his throat and growing serious again. "Oz gave me a call late last night, telling me that he had received some troubling news. He didn't say about what exactly, just that it involved an old friend. He wanted me to come here to tell me in person, so here I am."

Yang's eyes lit up at the mention of someone he knew, before turning glassy with building tears. "Is…I-Is it…"

"I don't know, Yang…" Qrow said with a far off look in his eyes, sadness in his voice as the topic of his sister was brought up. He gave a somber smile though, trying to cheer his niece up as he continued. "I don't see why you two couldn't tag along with me to his office, though. You're in this as much as I am at this point, I think."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asks as they start walking toward the giant tower in the center of the school.

"One of the main reasons for the forming of the 4 schools in the Kingdoms is to find the best of the best and recruit them into the Council as agents that serve each Kingdom. But you didn't hear that from me. You're not supposed to know of this until your senior year. So if you could not mention this to Ozpin, and especially not Glynda…" Qrow felt a shiver go down his spine at the mention of Glynda finding out about this.

"But what does that have to do with us?" Ruby asked, still confused by the sudden secret information.

"I mean that you two, maybe even your whole team, are prime candidates for becoming agents of the Council." Qrow said with a humorous grin as he had to spell it out for Ruby.

"Wow, really? That's what you do isn't it?" Yang asked, thrilled at the prospect of joining the ranks of her Uncle.

"Yep…You're looking at the last active agent from team STRQ." Qrow said with a small amount of pride hiding the sadness behind it. He then flipped out a photo of his old team and showed it to the both of them as they stepped into the elevator.

Ruby eyed the woman in a white cloak, leaning against a tree. Yang's focus was on the tall woman with pitch black hair and deep red eyes. As Qrow noticed the holes burrowing into the picture he was holding, he covered the red eyed woman's face with his thumb and cleared his throat. "Don't worry, Yang. I'm sure she'll show herself one of these days. She just gets lost in the mission sometimes…" Qrow trailed off, knowing all too well how Raven, his sister, worked.

* * *

The elevator dinged at their arrival at Ozpin's office. Inside was the man himself at his desk, sitting on the thin glass display that was the desk top with his back to it, deep in thought.

"Oz?" Qrow spoke up hesitantly, grabbing the grey haired man's attention. The huntsman had very rarely seen the stoic and ever calm professor troubled.

Ozpin's eyes flickered to the three at the elevator before resting on Qrow. "It's Onyx…"

* * *

 **Who the hell is Onyx? XD Another OC that I came up with. More will be explained next chapter about him and why Oz is troubled. Qrows not the only one that the title of this chapter is talking about. This will be a 2 parter and more will be "arriving"...**

 **So a lot happened here! So much story has happened. Raven came up, finally! People have been asking about her. Can't say much about her yet, spoilers. Ruby and Yang got um...Closer... this chapter...Ruby needs to get her cravings under control!**

 **Also someone asked how Ruby and Summer aren't related but still have the same silver eyes. It's because whether you are born into the Rose clan or sired into it, you still get the silver eyes regardless. Hypothetically, if Ruby turned Weiss, Weiss would have silver eyes as well. I explained this in chapter 10 when Qrow first appeared.**

 **My town has had a bad storm this last week and it knocked out our power. This chapter would have originally been published Sunday, but no power means no internet. But I finally decided to hell with it and typed the rest out on my phone. Wasn't fun.**

 **Anyways, fav, follow, and review please! I'm sorry for being gone a while l, but I said that when work picks up updates would probably slow, well it has. Having nothing but free time really helps you write and update quickly, but I don't have that luxury anymore.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed it! Oh and I am on AO3 now, incase you didn't know. I also released a new story called Testosterone Boys Harlequin Girls. It's a bumblebee story. I think that's long enough for an ending A/n. Peace!**


	29. Onyx

**So that didn't take as long as last update! Yay!**

 **Just a heads-up, this doesn't immediately take place after last chapter. This was originally going to be a brief explanation as to who Onyx is and what happened to him, before coming right back to Ozpin explaining it to Ruby, Yang, and Qrow. But as it sometimes goes with me, things run a bit too long. So this became it's own chapter, and next one will be Oz explaining things!**

 **Now onto the chapter! Oh! and something at the bottom A/n!**

* * *

Chapter 29: Onyx

* **Schink** *

A giant obsidian sword hacked into the trunk of a tree, somewhere east of the city of Vale. The gleaming blade went straight through, cleaving the lumber in twain, as a gravelly voice called out a warning.

"Timber!"

The tree sank to the earth with a clatter at the giant man's feet as others stumbled back, narrowly avoiding getting crushed by the fully grown tree now fallen.

"That should do it for a while." The black haired man said, towering over the rest, as he wiped his brow with his forearm, resting his blade over his shoulder while the others got to work hacking away at the firewood to be used for the next few nights.

The nearing 50 year old man wore a black leather sleeveless vest, covered by silver half-plate, which covered his chest, left shoulder, left bicep, and the left side of his neck to end in a half collar, favoring his sword arm.

"Onyx! Le-…Jasmine! Slow down!" A woman, wearing a thin white dress with black highlights along the arms and skirt line, called out to him before interrupting herself with a laugh as she rushed after a smaller girl, around six years old, running full tilt after the big swordsman named Onyx.

"Diamond?! It's not safe away from camp! What is it?" Onyx warned, worried for the two girls as he kneeled down to pick up the smaller one named Jasmine.

"Leo told mommy to come get you, and I came along!" The little girl with bleach blonde hair, identical to the older woman, chirped gleefully as she hugged her arms around the man's neck, giggling as his scruffy beard tickled her cheek, not perturbed in the slightest at how his sweat soaked through his clothes getting on her as well.

"Leo? What happened…? Grimm attack?!" Onyx asked his love as his left hand clenched the hilt of his sword and the right gripped his daughter protectively to his chest, jumping to the worst conclusion.

"No, no! He just asked me to come get you to see what to do about a group wanting to join us! Honestly dear, you're going to give yourself a heart attack with how jumpy you are!" Diamond hastily corrected before a scowl grew on her face, nagging him for his paranoid mannerisms.

"You can never drop your guard out here, Diamond. You know that." Onyx reminded, walking closer to the woman who crossed her arms as a sign that she wasn't happy with the answer.

He slid Obsidian Abyss into the scabbard on his back as he smiled down at the smaller woman, before suddenly picking her up to join in the hug with his daughter, hoping to quell her worries for his health.

"O-Onyx!?" Diamond shrieked in surprise as her feet left the ground.

"I don't seem so unhealthy now, I suppose?" The black haired man sarcastically questioned with a bellowing laugh before Diamond gave him a damning glare, not amused, as she was now covered in sweat from his recent manual labor too.

Onyx's eyes widened at the daggers in her pale blue orbs and immediately set her down, a gentle sorry uttered from his lips as he felt like he might now be stuck in the metaphorical dog house.

Diamond's eyes dulled from their striking glare to a fretting gaze as she heard his apology. She then took Jasmine from his arms and set her down gently, offering a small smile to the girl. "Jasmine, can you go on ahead? We'll be right behind you, little flower." The blonde woman gave the child a nudge on the back, leading the little girl back to the encampment only a short distance away.

Jasmine glanced at the both of them with a blank, almost quizzical expression, before giving a small nod, running off towards where they made their temporary home as nomads.

Once their child was well out of hearing distance, Diamond turned back around to her love, the same troubled expression across her face from before. "You know what I meant…I have enough to worry about with you being the only huntsman protecting all of us. Do you have any idea how stressful it is to not know if you're alright every time you leave for something…? I can't help but worry over you! We'd be so lost without you… **I'd** be lost without you…" She buried her face in his masculine chest, hugging him tightly to assure herself that he would always be there, the thought of his sweat no longer there.

"My Diamond…" Onyx muttered as he wrapped his arms protectively around her, pulling her closer. "No Grimm could ever keep me from you two… That's a promise…" He sealed it with a kiss to the top of her long blonde locks, resting his chin atop her head as they relished each other's embrace.

"I know. I believe you…I just wish you could take the time to relax once in a complete moon. No one works as hard as you do…" Diamond muttered, a small bit of heat at no one in particular, into his leather vest before popping back to send him a serene smile, complete faith in his words.

"Try telling Leo that…" Onyx said with humor in his voice, trying to cheer her up. "That does sound nice, though…" He sent her a loving smile back, tucking a few strands of wind tossed blonde back behind her ear before delivering a gentle kiss to her lips.

* * *

The family of three made it back to camp together, only minutes after their conversation, to find a familiar face with two new ones enjoying idle chatter.

"Onyx! 'Bout time! What took ya?!" A man of average height and build, with shoulder length mixed red and light brown hair, called out to the family with a smirk behind his similarly colored full beard and goatee.

"I'll see you back at our tent." Onyx said to Diamond, kissing both her and his daughter before making his way over to see what the man wanted.

"Doing actual work around here takes time, Leo!" Onyx jabbed at the man as he arrived to size up the two, previously discussed, unfamiliar faces. From what he could tell in the way they held themselves, they both seemed pretty used to combat, possibly from a fair amount of time ruffing it outside a kingdom like the group he was with did. Although, the group he was with had no official training or well-made weapons like he hoped these two new people had.

"Bah! Whatever! While you're playing lumberjack out there, I'm keeping things moving around **here**!" The man named Leo spat playfully as he pointed to the ground below them.

"If by, moving, you mean we have to move locations every week cause **someone** can't organize a scouting perimeter correctly, then yes, you keep things **moving**." Onyx traded back, with a smirk of his own, as Leo turned red in the face, embarrassed as his latest blunder was brought up in front of the new man and woman.

"Oh, are you guys having trouble finding a safe place? We may be able to help." The dark skinned girl of the two foreign people put forth, wanting to prove their worth to the group.

Leo's eyes lit up after the girl talked, as if remembering their presence after being distracted by the banter with his friend. "That's right! Onyx, Red and Lazulite happened upon these two while out hunting earlier. They're apparently huntsmen from Mistral. They say they want to join us!" The excitement was palpable in Leo's voice as he explained the reasoning behind wanting Onyx to come meet him in the first place.

"Mistral, huh? How long have you been full-fledged huntsmen?" Onyx asked with a raised brow, scanning them up and down as he determined them to be in their very early 20's, if even that. He offered his hand to shake and the woman took it instantly with a delicate, but not limp, hand. The man next to her was more reluctant, as he kept his arms crossed before getting a jab to the ribs by the green haired girl next to him. Seeing her glare directed at him, the young man relented and accepted the handshake before his partner answered Onyx's question next.

"Yeah, about that…We're not actually fully huntsmen…We never completed out training. I couldn't handle living in that place for one more second, and he decided to tag along like a lost puppy." The girl nodded in her friend's direction with a smirk as he sent her a glare, but said nothing.

She was apparently the speaker of the two, as the young man had yet to utter a word as he stood impatiently next to his partner, biting his tongue after the insult.

"I see…So what was that about being able to help?" Onyx questioned further as his earlier skepticism was put to rest since their young age matched the title of huntsmen-in-training. At least for now, anyways…

Onyx's green eyes scanned into their red during the conversation. He didn't give off that he was cautious of their color's implications, as red eyes weren't all that uncommon within Remnant, but he was never one to give a stranger the benefit of the doubt out here. Especially if the strangers could be members of the undead…

"It just sounded like your group could use a nice, vacant place to make camp. My friend and I just came across such a place, actually. An abandoned city of rubble. When we passed by it, there was no sign of any Grimm within the area and the place is up against a mountain, so you don't have to worry about being ambushed from that side. We would be happy to show you the way… As long as we get to stay as well, of course..." The girl answered with a very practiced smile, one that Onyx neglected to pick up on as the area in question sounded familiar.

"This place wouldn't happen to be further east…would it?" The black haired man asked slowly, remembering the catastrophe he saw take place within the city on his mind when he was part of the response force sent to aid against its fall. The Mt. Glenn expansion was the darkest memory of Onyx's career as a huntsman, and it stuck with him even now.

"It is…I take it you know the place?" The girl asked a question she already knew the answer to by the tone of his voice. There was a hint of sympathy in her words and it drew out the answer from the broad shouldered man.

"Mt. Glenn…You say it's completely empty, Ms. …?" Onyx drew out, with a hand beckoning for her to finally introduce herself.

"Oh! Right! It's Emerald. And this is my partner from Haven Academy, Mercury. You'll have to excuse him. The only thing worse than his attitude is his mouth." The green haired girl introduced the two of them, smirking as Mercury almost snapped, but let out an angered huff instead, turning away from her.

"And yes, it was empty a few days ago at least. Who knows now, though? It could already be reclaimed…" The secret ghoul, Emerald, continued, wanting them to chomp at the bit.

"We haven't found a decent place to make camp in months! This even sounds like it could be permanent, Onyx!" Leo exclaimed, thinking it was too good to be true. Not only did they find a couple of new huntsmen to help protect the group, but also a new place to make camp, void of all threats.

"Could be…" Onyx muttered to himself, finding something off about this, unaware, as Emerald let out a small smile at seeing them contemplate her offer. He then turned to the secret ghouls, a smile on his own face, devoid of any mistrust or skepticism. "…We'll have to think it over a bit. For now though, you're welcome to stay with us for the time being…Right Leo?" He turned to the red and brown haired man beside him, a grin directed at his friend, already aware of what Leo thought on this.

"Y-Yes! Of course!" Leo stumbled, surprised that Onyx agreed to let them stay so easily. The retired huntsman never trusted anyone new, but he apparently still had trust in other huntsmen. At least, the mock leader, Leo, was lead to believe so.

"Thank you! We'll do our fair share. I'll make sure of it!" Emerald then glanced over at Mercury with a smirk. Meeting her gaze, he sent a quick nod, but nothing more as he turned away, still upset with her for the mockery. She rolled her eyes as she carried on after him, getting ready to hear a mouthful from the ghoulish assassin once they made it out of ear shot of the others.

As Emerald and Mercury left the two friends by themselves, Onyx pulled Leo into the tent, ready to talk about what he really thought about the new huntsman and huntress.

"Look, Leo. I know you're set on these two, but I just want you to be cautious around them, Ok? Something's not right…" Onyx whispered conspiratorially, not able to let the ominous color of the foreign pair's eyes go. He knew that it didn't mean that they were definitely ghouls, but he had a disturbing gut feeling, and that was enough for the veteran huntsman.

Leo let out a long groan and slid his hand down his face dramatically, having realized what this was about. He should have known that it wasn't going to be that easy with Onyx...

"Of course! Nothing's ever right with you! Why can't you ever just accept good things when they finally appear, huh?" The smaller man shook his head at his friend's ridiculousness, not understanding how he could live his life doubting everything. "Don't trust them all you want, Onyx, I don't care. Just don't run them off! We need them, alright?" Leo pointed to him with a stern gaze, wanting to make his request clear.

"I was never planning on it. How can I watch them when they're nowhere near me?" Onyx returned with a wry smile on the corner of his mouth, before settling on a more somber expression. "I gave you my warning though, Leo. Be careful around them."

"Yeah, yeah…" Leo brushed off the warning, returning to his duties for the day as Onyx took his leave having finished giving his peace.

* * *

It had only been three days since the two huntsmen from Mistral joined the large group of nomads, and already Leo had decided to take them upon their offer to be led to Mt. Glenn in search of a new place to make residence. Onyx had tried again to talk some sense into Leo, but he was dead set on making the journey to this promised paradise.

During the trip, Onyx had spent as much time watching the mysterious pair as possible like he promised. As they journeyed closer, the group could now just make out the mountain range that kept the wasteland known as Mt. Glenn at its base beyond the forests.

The two red eyed huntsmen had yet to draw any further suspicion from the giant man, only occasional bickering between them that seemed to occur too commonly for partners as they claimed they were. They wouldn't be the first pair of partners to get into frequent fights, though…

' _I wonder how those kids are doing these days…'_ Onyx thought, reminiscing from his time teaching at Beacon Academy so long ago.

His thoughts of the past were stopped as Diamond gave a squeeze of his hand to gain his attention.

"Dear, it appears we stopped for the rest of the day…" Her blue orbs pierced into his green as she sensed his thoughts drifting into the nether more than usual lately. "…What's wrong?"

He smiled to her softly as he noticed her worrying over him again. "…Nothing's wrong. Just…Reminiscing…" He ran his hand down their horses mane beside him as they stopped, looking up to a cheery Jasmine riding on top of the animal, his smile growing wider as he witnessed his daughter bouncing in the saddle. Onyx's gaze then transferred over to Emerald and Mercury across the camp talking to Leo by a campfire in the process of being set up.

"I'll…Be right back to help set up camp. I need to see Leo for a moment…" Onyx informed Diamond, not taking his eyes off of the two foreigners.

"What about, Onyx?" Diamond asked as he already started walking towards his destination.

"It will just take a second. No need to be worried…" He muttered, continuing toward the three's conversation without pause.

"-Camp for the night to get their midday tomorrow-Oh! Hey, Onyx. What brought you over?" Onyx caught some of their conversation before he halted Emerald discussing with Leo, who noticed the tall man approaching them.

"Just wondering why we stopped for the day. We still have some daylight left, why not use it to get their earlier tomorrow?" Onyx eyed them all independently. Mercury seemed as bored as usual, his arms crossed as he kicked a rock into the fire pit. Onyx didn't think he had ever seen the young man expressing anything other than boredom, disdain, or anxiousness. The latter getting more frequent as they traveled together for some reason. Emerald held the same subtle, happy, mood she always did, only dropping it when addressing her partner's unpleasant attitude towards others.

Leo however, was glaring at the tall, dark haired, man, having enough of his issues with every decision he made recently. And it wasn't even his idea fully. Emerald suggested they stay put here for the day. It would help having the forests as cover for their camp before the tree line ended and all that was left was plains to cross to Mt. Glenn, just asking for a potential Nevermore flock to carry them off to be devoured.

"What now, Onyx? Come to criticize more of my decisions?" Leo bit harshly, tired of Onyx thinking he knew what was best for everyone more so than he did.

Sighing away his first instinct to bite back at the irritable fool, Onyx shook off the aggression from his friend. "No. I simply want to know why we stopped and to know if I can help. Is someone hurt?"

"Everyone is fine. Emerald just thought it would be best to stay within the cover of the forest instead of out in the clearing where there is none. Now if your curiosity is sated, then can we please get back to making plans for the new camp within Mt. Glenn?" Leo impatiently asked, wanting no more distractions.

Onyx locked eyes with Merc and Em one last time before leaving them be. "Fine. Fine. Enjoy your meeting…" He shrugged with his hands up level with his shoulders, showing his disinterest as he turned to leave. The plan seemed fine to him anyways. As long as they had watchmen around the perimeter of the camp during the night to alert an attack of Grimm, they would be fine. The monsters weren't generally very sneaky, with the exception of a few classes, but those beasts shouldn't be found on Sanus. He hated to admit it, but maybe his original intuition was wrong about the two half-baked huntsmen that wandered upon their group, maybe they **could** help...

* * *

Onyx woke in his tent with a start, having heard a woman scream in horror before being immediately silenced with a sickening slice followed by a thud of something heavy hitting the forest floor. He reached over to the other side of his bed pelt, fearing the worst, until he clenched soft flesh that jerked upwards from his touch, a pained yelp issuing from his love beside him.

"The hell, Onyx!? That h-mmmhmm…?!" Diamond started to berate him for being rough, but soon all that came from her was muffled mumbles as he covered her mouth and put a finger up to his own mouth, signaling for her to be quiet.

He looked around the dark tent for his daughter and saw her sleeping peacefully in her sleeping bag a few feet away. Nervousness was expelled from his body as he let out a breath, knowing his family was still safe with him, before hearing another struggle outside the tent, and then several shouts as more and more nomads were alerted to something foreboding happening just outside.

"Get Jasmine up and hide until I come back. I'll see what's happening, just stay as quiet as possible." Onyx whispered to his love, getting up to retrieve his blade after receiving a quick nod from her.

He crouched down and made his way to the opening flap of his family's tent, formulating plans for each possibility of what could be going wrong. _'That was definitely a blade I heard, no way is this Grimm…Bandits?'_

It had to be. A group that was used to ambushing could very well slip through their guard. If their numbers were low enough, he could maybe fight them off, but if not…

As he peaked outside, he saw another nomad in his group almost make it to the darkness of the tree line, before getting a throwing dagger to the back of her neck, falling limp into the dirt. His fist grasped tighter on the leather opening of his temporary home, enraged by his own uselessness to save a member of his charge. He would not blindly charge his enemy, though. Onyx had seen enough combat in his lifetime to know what that got you. First, he had to know what he was dealing with.

The assailant was wearing all black except a white and red Grimm mask. Maybe a tribal identification of their group? He had never seen it before, but as he scanned around, they all were wearing the same masks and stealthy clothing, so they must be well organized.

' _These are no run-of-the-mill bandits…'_ Onyx thought as he learned that he most likely couldn't fight them all off, not without risking his family's safety. With this in mind, the man glanced to the side of his tent, eyeing his horse still tied to the stake keeping it nearby. He carefully ducked back into his tent, an idea having formed in his mind.

"Diamond...!" Onyx whisper yelled, trying to be heard over the chaos of shrieks and panic, but not picked up by the men and women outside causing all of this.

"Onyx, what's happening!?" Diamond answered his call with a frightened question, holding a groggy Jasmine in her arms tightly.

"Our camp is under attack." His voice was grim, and dripping with dread as he told his love, who was holding his child, that they were in danger.

She knew the answer already, by the horrid squeals of people trying to escape only to be cut down outside, but hearing it confirmed by her lover and seeing the worry, the anguish, on his face made her tremble with Jasmine tucked tightly in her arms.

"The horse is still right outside the tent, though. If you're fast enough, you should be able to get out of here before being spotted. You will be just fine…" Onyx's voice cut through her mind filled with panic, a plan having already been thought of. It relieved her, knowing there was a way out of this hell they were suddenly thrust into, but something worried her even more after hearing his decision.

"Y-You sound like you're not coming with us…Onyx!?" Diamond grasped for her love with her voice, begging him to answer and that he would be coming with them.

"They would notice all three of us getting on the horse before we could get away. And even if they didn't, the horse would be too slow with all of us to get out before someone noticed…I'll draw their attention away and then we'll meet up in that clearing we found yesterday. I **will** be there, Diamond." Onyx stroked her cheek as he brought them both into his broad chest.

"I-If you can't win…Don't fight, Onyx. Come back to us, please." She sobbed into his chest, clenching at his back, not ready for him to go. She didn't think she would ever be ready for him to leave right now, but after receiving one last reassuring squeeze in his arms, Onyx pried himself away from her. He had to make sure his family would be safe.

"I will. Now wait until I have their attention…" Onyx explained as he rose up and headed back to the tent flap to peak out, eyeing the intruders that were visible within his line of sight.

There were 6 that he could see so far, but most likely more as their camp covered quite a large area. Almost 80 members presided within his group, including his family, so for this ambush party to feel confident enough to attack them, there would be many more around, he was sure.

As he sized each of the attackers up, planning how he was going to get their attention, his formulations were halted as one of them hauled a man out of a separate tent. The masked man put a blade to his throat and barked out an order towards the tent as if already knowing someone else was inside. That was when Onyx noticed the Lynx ears atop the threatening man's head. He must have heard someone inside the tent with his faunus senses, and unless Onyx was wrong, the rest of the masked intruders also had varying faunus qualities.

' _A faunus only bandit tribe?'_ He had no time to ponder this further as a woman hesitantly came out of the tent, causing the restrained man to start struggling against the hold, fearing for her safety. His struggling was stunted as the Lynx faunus stabbed him in the shoulder with the knife for trying to get away. A pained cry issued forth from the helpless man, and soon, the frightened woman, as she shrieked for the faunus to stop hurting him.

"Then fall in line, and no more har-…" The sound of a blade cutting through flesh and sinew halted the Lynx faunus' ultimatum as Onyx had charged him quietly, putting an end to this. His body fell limp at Onyx's feet just as the woman caught the injured man newly released, crying over his arm.

"Go! Run! Before more show up and corner us!" Onyx shouted at the couple, getting ready for a fight as he purposely elevated his voice to ensure all in the area would be drawn to him.

He glanced over at his tent and saw that Diamond had received his signal like he hoped, quickly untying the horse and placing Jasmine on first before herself. She barked an order to the steed and the mother and child quickly bolted off towards the forest, tears and determination in her eyes as she didn't dare look back at Onyx as she knew she wouldn't be able to stop herself from turning around completely to go back for him.

Onyx felt ten times better now that he knew his family had made it out safe and sound. Now all that was left was to try and save as many of the others as he could before making it out himself.

Giving a quick nod to Onyx, the huntsman that saved them, the frightened woman helped the bleeding man to his feet, letting him lean on her as they rushed off towards the closest tree line. "Come on!" She yelled to the grimacing man who was having trouble just standing, as they started moving, only for two shots to ring out and both silvery orbs to tag each of them in the back. The couple didn't even have time to release a cry of pain as they immediately fell to the ground, dead. Gaping holes in their chests from the rounds that ripped right through their aura-less bodies.

"No!" Onyx called out in futility, watching them drop as their lifeblood splattered across the cold ground.

"Aww, so close, too! What a shame…" A mocking voice rang out from just around the corner of a tent, before someone stepped out, making their presence, and the origin of the mockery, known.

"Mercury!? Why?!" Onyx shouted at the smirking young man, demanding an answer as he clenched Obsidian Abyss in his left at his side, while the other created a tight fist, shaking with fury.

"Orders are orders…" The smug, silver haired man, shrugged as he explained, acting as if he was bored of the whole ordeal. "…Emerald wanted me to make sure you didn't cause too much trouble while she handled your boss. But there's not going to be any trouble, right Onyx? Oh, I hope you say yes…" Mercury smirked as he got into a loose fighting stance, sensing the older man's rage from across the way.

"Damn right, there's going to be trouble!" Onyx roared after giving an enraged growl, gritting his teeth, even tasting blood in his mouth as he bit down on the inside of his cheek.

His body was moving on its own before he even gave it the command, charging towards Mercury. It didn't matter anymore if he was right about something being off about him and Emerald. It didn't matter if they were ghouls like he thought they could be. Mercury was a murderer of the innocent. He saw it with his own eyes, and he even had the gall to smile afterwards! It was unforgivable. He could meet up with his family later. After he ground this monster's bones into dust with his great-sword.

* * *

"Rrrrrr-aagh!" As Onyx made it to the ghoul assassin, he slammed his sword down where he once was, just missing the agile undead who leapt to the side. A cloud of rock and dust kicked up from the impact, obscuring the veteran huntsman's vision as he was consumed by the back-blast.

A silvery orb comes at the black haired swordsman through the dust and he just manages to bring up Obsidian in time to deflect it, the round glancing off and soaring upwards into nothing.

"Mercury! You'll pay for what you've done!" Onyx bellowed at the assassin as he looked around himself, planning for the ghoul's next move.

He leapt backwards, out of the dust cloud, as he figured his odds would be better if he could actually see his opponent. Just as he landed though, Mercury came done on him with a jumping axe kick.

Mercury figured that Onyx was way past his prime as a huntsman, and while that may have been true, that didn't mean he was weak and rusty. With lightning speed, Onyx raised his sword up and put his off hand against the flat of the blade, bracing himself against the might of the ghoul's kick as he saw him coming from the corner of his eye.

As the boot came down on his blade, Onyx sank into the ground by a foot and a half. It looked like an earthquake had manifested beneath himself and Mercury, the very force of such an attack shaking the ground as a crater scarred the landscape around them.

The ghoulish assassin back flipped off of his blade, sending down two more shots, trying to shake up the old huntsman. It didn't work as Onyx batted one away and dodged the other, charging forth with another battle cry.

As the battle raged on, Onyx realized that he couldn't touch Mercury. He was too quick for such a large weapon, and eventually he was going to tire out much sooner than the ghoul who had back-up, no doubt, on its way.

"Ah, man! I can't tell you how good it feels to finally be able to let loose! I've been itching for a good fight ever since we were put on this stupid mission!" Mercury rolled his arms one after the other as he grinned at the veteran huntsman, actually grateful for the fight he has been aching for, for days.

Paying him no mind, Onyx took another swing at the assassin, just barely missing as Mercury did a backwards summersault to avoid it.

' _If I could just get a hold of him once…'_ Onyx thought irritably as Mercury ran up his sunken blade, flipping over the black haired man to rain down fire from above before landing perfectly behind him, continuing the barrage.

A few of the assassin's shots had made it through at this point, but with Onyx's experience with his own aura reserves, he knew he was in no immediate danger. That being said, he was being chipped away, little-by-little, and soon enough this fight would come to an end much in the same way that that couple's lives had come to an end previously. He had to come up with something fast before he had no way out of this massacre.

"You dead yet, old man?" Mercury taunted with his signature smirk as he noticed that Onyx was starting to breathe a little hard.

' _Such a cocky prick…'_ Onyx thought bitterly, before the same thought lead to an idea.

"…Who are you calling old!?" The retired huntsman roared out after a short pause to come up with a strategy, seemingly outraged at the disrespect. He charged Mercury with his sword raised to his left, leaving himself completely open to a frontal attack.

Mercury's smirk grew larger as Onyx charged, seeing the opening. He raised his leg to take a shot at Onyx's chest, and as soon as the shot was triggered, Onyx slid to the ground, rolling under the deadly silver orb.

Coming to a knee directly in front of an exposed and overextended Mercury, Onyx swung his great-sword horizontally, cleaving through the young man's planted leg. At least, that's what the old huntsman had planned, before Mercury flickered out of existence just as the sword passed through him…

* **BANG** *

"Aaaaaargh!" Onyx screamed out in pain and confusion as the back of his forward knee was shot out from behind. It smashed through his remaining aura like dry wall, taking out his remaining support as he collapsed to his hands and what remained of his knees, his left hand still clasping Obsidian Abyss like a pain-relieving vice.

"I had it, Em. Why do you have to spoil my fun like that?" Mercury called out to someone Onyx couldn't see from his perspective, but the voice that followed, answered the older man's unasked question.

"Bull shit! He would have chopped your damn leg off had I not warned you it was coming!" Emerald chastised as she walked over to her partner, a glare directed at him for being so clueless and forcing her to step in with her semblance.

"I said, I had it! What about your end? How was Leo?" Mercury asked as he walked around Onyx, still on the ground, paying him no mind as he made his way over to Emerald.

"Leo was a piece of cake. The moron didn't even have a weapon in his tent…" Emerald explained with a look of boredom on her face that said this wasn't the first life she had taken.

"Well, now what? Everyone's about rounded up, right?" Mercury asked as he glanced around at a few White Fang dragging the beaten and bound to a central location.

"Just about…'Cept him and a few that made it out…" Emerald explained, as she glance around Mercury, and at Onyx, gesturing to him as she said 'him'.

"Eh, we didn't need all of 'em anyways…" Mercury shrugged, not wanting to go after a few stragglers. That could take hours to find them…

As the two were discussing their plans, Onyx was losing a lot of blood from the hole in his left leg. He wouldn't make it much longer, even if by some miracle they decided to leave him here.

' _I'm sorry, Diamond…Jasmine...Please be Ok…'_ Onyx prayed as he let go of his sword and reached into his pocket to pull out his scroll. He quickly flicked it on and typed in his password required to activate the beacon that all scrolls are given to send out a distress signal.

' _Well, Ozpin…I'm glad you made me keep this thing…Please find them, old friend…'_ He activated it and the device sent out an audible ping as the beacon was sent to its one directed location. The academy's headmaster of which this scroll was assigned.

"True. So what do you want to do with him? He can't exactly resi-…" Emerald was cut off as she heard the small ping. They both turned to Onyx as he was lying in a small pool of his own blood, a soft smile on his face and a scroll in his hand. "…Mother bitch!" The green haired girl irritably shouted, as she ran over and kicked the scroll out of his hand, quickly stomping it into the ground, breaking the device.

"Hehe…Too late. The beacon sends the message instantly upon being activated, Ozpin no doubt already received it. You're both fools…" Onyx chuckled weakly as he rubbed their faces in their own mistake.

"Damnit, Mercury! Why can't you ever finish your job?!" Emerald yelled in rage, furious at being made a fool of. "Ugggh…I'll do it! Just go make sure that the White Fang have the rest under control! We're moving to Mt. Glenn immediately!" She groaned as she picked Onyx up by the throat, easily lifting the giant man to her height with her ghoulish power.

"You're the one that-…! Ughh, whatever!" Mercury blew up, ready to blame her for interrupting the fight in the first place, but dropped it as he stormed off to do what was asked.

"Kill me, but it won't change the fact that you've been found out, you monsters…" Onyx choked out as her grip tightened once he started talking. A smile was still on his face as he knew that his family had gotten away and his old friend would be on his murderer's trail, soon enough.

"That hurts~. How **hypocritical** of you, though…" Emerald returned, a smirk on her face as the confusion filled his eyes. She didn't give him time to voice his ponderings though, as she pulled him closer, ripping out his throat in one vicious bite, her red eyes flaring as she swallowed her raw meal.

His spasms slowed to nothing in her grasp as Onyx suffocated on his own blood, forced to watch her eat his own flesh.

Emerald spat out a chunk of tissue as she threw Onyx to the ground, done with him. She wiped the blood from her mouth before grimacing at the after taste. "Egh…I hate old people…"

The screams and panic had all but been silenced at this point, as the female ghoul made her way to the rounded up survivors and White Fang scouts, ready for the next step of their plan…

* * *

 **Wow that got dark...But you know that was always the plan. This was never going to be a sappy love story with a touch of vampire stuff. So now you know!**

 **There are a few things I can explain here that you might not understand in this chapter, that I won't really have a chance to explain within the story. Like the "Once in a complete moon" phrase used by Diamond. It basically is the Remnant equivalent of "Once in a blue moon". There's no telling how common it is to see a complete moon in the series, canonically, so I'm taking my own liberties in saying that it's fairly uncommon, maybe not as uncommon as our blue moon, but I liked the phrase so I'm using it!**

 **Also, Onyx didn't recognize the White Fang because as you will learn later, he wasn't around to keep up on social events during the change that occurred within the "New" White Fang. He's basically a mountain man. XD**

 **So the reason I mentioned more in the bottom a/n is because I recently added The Panther Sinks Her Claws to my AO3 profile. It's been re-edited and it even includes the lemon scene that was originally taken down on here. And for the people that liked that story or for those that haven't had a chance to read it on here, I also updated it on this site as well. So check it out in all it's polished, shiny, glory!**

 **I look forward to hearing some speculation from you guys on what Merc and Em are taking these people for. And what Oz is going to end up doing now that he knows that an old friend is in trouble.** **So please send me a review! I love hearing all that you have to say. Peace!**


	30. The Arrival Part 2

**And here we go! I know it took too damn long for the update, but it's here now, so woo! I hope you like the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 30: The Arrival part 2

"It's Onyx?" There was a smile working up Qrow's face when he registered who Ozpin mentioned, but it dropped to a worried frown when the huntsman realized something must have happened.

The dark haired agent and pair of sisters made their way over to the headmaster's desk from the elevator as Ozpin moved around the glass covered desk top to take his seat proper, wondering how to explain the news with the unexpected extra company present.

Giving a brief glance to Yang and Ruby as they took their seats together, his eyes once again settled on Qrow to answer his question. "Yes. His beacon activated very early this morning. It was located east of Vale, close to Mt. Glenn…"

"Mt. Glenn? Why would he ever go there again?" Qrow shook his head in disbelief as he leaned his back against a pillar in the center of the room.

"Um, excuse me, but what's going on?" Ruby spoke up hesitantly in a small voice as all eyes were suddenly on her.

"Yeah. Who's Onyx?" Ruby's sister took the spotlight for her as she looked between Qrow and Ozpin for either to explain.

The agent and Council leader looked to each other, deciding who would do the talking. It was made when Qrow sent Oz a nod, giving him the floor.

"Onyx Slate. He was a huntsman and teacher at this very school." Ozpin explained with a proud smile subtly placed on his lips.

"Was?" Ruby nervously asked as she looked to Qrow, a somber smile on his face shrouded by his hair.

"He taught around the time team STRQ was enrolled here, actually. Isn't that right, Qrow?" Ozpin asked softly as he glanced to the agent of Vale.

"Yeah…" Qrow answered just as softly, crossing his arms as he sank back against the pillar.

"Several years ago, he left on a mission outside of Vale to assist a nomadic tribe in danger of a horde of Grimm. He returned, but only to tell me personally that he was leaving for good." In place of the proud smile on Ozpin's face was a humorous one as he told the story.

"What made him leave?" Yang asked.

"Old geezer fell in love…" Qrow dryly chuckled as he answered for Oz.

"What?!" Ruby and Yang nearly fell out of the seats as the story was so thoroughly derailed by their uncle.

"It is true. I wondered at the time if he was making a mistake, leaving his life behind like that. But I had never, in all the time I had known him, seen him that happy when he returned to tell me that he had found his purpose in life." Ozpin then looked to Qrow, continuing his reminiscing. "I believe you were the most shaken up about the news at the time, if I'm not mistaken?" Ozpin smiled at the scythe master, remembering just how close Qrow was to his old combat teacher.

"Yeah, yeah. I just looked up to him, alright?" Qrow swiftly waved off before downing the rest of his flask, an irritated groan escaping his mouth as no more liquid courage was left.

Ozpin knew all of his students better than that, though. He knew that Onyx meant a great deal to Qrow. His most trusted agent looked to Onyx as more than just a simple mentor. Ozpin was well aware of how close team STRQ was with their combat instructor, but it ran deeper with Qrow. The giant of a man was like a father to him.

"So what's happened to him now?" Yang got their attention with her question, as the humor and recollections were brought to an end. Both Qrow and Ozpin, reminded that this meeting was about Onyx.

"Oz, is he Ok?" Qrow's gravelly voice carried a heavy weight of worry within as he frowned at the Council member's simultaneous drop in mood.

"I truly don't know…" Ozpin shook his head, ruefully. "That is what I wish for you to find out. I need you to go recover his beacon and check on him. Figure out what happened…"

"Just need the exact coordinates and a ride to get there!" Qrow smiled, ready and willing to jump on this task as soon as possible.

"Sending it to your scroll now. Along with the clearance for a bullhead here at the school…" Ozpin said almost matter-of-factly, just a hint of a smile peering out from the corner of his lips at the sight of how willing Qrow was for this mission.

"We could help!" Ruby shouted, excitement in her eyes at the idea of her first mission as a huntress.

"I don't-…" Ozpin started to disagree before being cut off by Yang.

"Totally! Team RWBY and uncle Qrow on the investigation of the century!" The blonde rose up out of her chair with a fist raised in celebration, as if they already solved the problem.

"Excuse me! That's uncle Qrow and team RWBY on the investigation of the century! I'm not playing second fiddle to a bunch of scrubs." Qrow jested for his niece's amusement, a grin on his face as Yang's attitude sunk a bit at the name calling.

" **Ahem** "

All eyes shifted to Ozpin as he cleared his throat.

"This is no joking matter…"

"Ah, come on, Oz. they just want to-…" Qrow started to defend Yang and Ruby, but was cut off as Ozpin raised his hand to hush his words.

"I know they want experience and to help, but this is only just barely their second week at Beacon. They're not ready for a real mission. Even if they're accompanied by a true huntsman. They have so much more to learn before they're fit for that responsibility." Ozpin rested his chin on his bridged fingers as he glanced at Yang and Ruby intently.

"That's not fair! How are we supposed to be ready if we're never given a chance?! I'm more than capable of handling anything the wilderness has to throw at me. And the same can be said for my team! We're ready!" Ruby stood out of her seat and laid her hands on the glass surface of the professor's desk, staring back at him with determined silver eyes.

"Are you? As I recall, your partner was shot and nearly killed just a few days ago in the streets of Vale. Under your watch, might I remind you." Ozpin shot back, with no real malice in his words, just cold fact.

"That won't happen again! …Never again…" Ruby whispered under her breath as she clenched her teeth in regret, showing a single fang from under her lip, unaware that the old vampire across from her had picked it up.

"You have no way of assuring me on that, Ms. Rose. I'm sorry, but-…" The Council leader started to turn her down again, but was stopped as someone else began to speak.

"Then I will…" Qrow stepped forward from the pillar, getting closer to the desk, next to Ruby and Yang. "…You have my word, Ozpin. I'll make sure they make it out Ok."

"Qrow. Why are you siding with them? You know the risks this will put them in as well as I do." Ozpin was puzzled. Surely Qrow would see that their not ready for anything outside the Kingdoms quite yet.

"Because Ruby is right. They need experience, and Cinder's not just going to wait around for them to be ready for her. They need a real huntsman to show them how it's done." Qrow then turned to look at Ruby and Yang with an unimpressed gaze. "And they could also probably use this time to work on their teamwork during an actual mission, if that incident with the Ice Queen was anything to go by…"

His words made the teens sink even lower at the jab made for a second time.

Ozpin still had his chin on his hands, contemplating his options. He glanced from Qrow to Yang then to Ruby, searching for something within the bright irises even he didn't know. Her eyes were still as determined as ever, if but a little unfocused as she was reminded twice of her failure back in Vale. Still the gaze showed Ozpin that she was ready to help any and all in need without a thought of how it could put her in danger… _'She's so much like you, Summer…'_ His eyes then shifted back to Qrow, and with a resigned sigh he gave a simple nod to the dark haired drunk.

"Yes!" Yang and Ruby jumped and double high-fived each other, happy they were given permission to tag along on the search, before being pulled from their reverie as Ozpin spoke up.

"It may prove beneficial for the entire team to be aware of their own mission… Correct, team leader?" The headmaster explained, bursting their gleeful bubble as they realized that half their team was absent from the meeting.

"Oh, gosh! We need to tell them the news! Maybe they haven't left for Vale yet?! Wh-When are we leaving for the mission, professor?!" Ruby panicked, suddenly realizing that Blake and Weiss could be over an hour away by now, and that didn't even include when the next ferry could be available to bring them back to Beacon in the first place if they had already left.

The fledgling was tapping away at her scroll, trying to get ahold of her partner and teammate as Ozpin put up a hand for her to calm down. "Now, now. There's no reason to get so worked up. You won't be leaving for a few hours. Plenty of time for you to contact your team and have everyone here to go over the specifics before your flight out to the last known location of the beacon."

Ruby collapsed with her hand against the glass desk as she groaned in relief that her team wouldn't be late to their first ever mission planning. "Thank you, sir! We'll let them know immediately!"

Ruby nodded to Yang, signifying her to try and get a hold of Blake if she herself had no luck with Weiss. With both of their scrolls out, the sister's contacted their partners, intent on getting Weiss and Blake to join them as soon as possible.

* * *

Weiss and Blake hurried to the docks, on their way to Vale for some quality time together, just the two of them. They walked side by side to each other, almost touching, but made sure not to as they had eyes all around them.

Blake had told Weiss that she would leave their relationship's physical aspect up to the heiress' speed, but it only took a few days since Weiss' release from the hospital to make the faunus crave more outward affection from her girlfriend. Her hand twitched beside Weiss' as she felt the girl's delicate, slender, fingers come centimeters from brushing against her own.

' _It's just hand holding…What's the problem with a couple of 'friends' holding hands?'_ With this weak defense, Blake started to guide her hand into Weiss' casually before the white haired girl stopped in her tracks, a shocked expression lighting across her features. Blake pulled her hand back, about to apologize as she assumed she was caught nearly exposing their relationship to the school, before Weiss spoke up first.

"Is that…"

"What?" Blake asked as Weiss paused in mid thought, seemingly unable to make up her mind about something. Her blue, crystalline eyes were staring at something in awe though, and it caught Blake's attention.

Following her secret girlfriend's gaze, it lead to the sky above the docks, a few ships coming and going from the port where they made to land or take off. One ship seemed to be the center of Weiss' focus however, and before Blake could ask why, Weiss uncharacteristically shouted in true glee at the few ships at port.

"Winter!"

"Um, Weiss-…Hey! Wait!" Blake looked at the heiress like she was crazy, before the short girl took off towards the port that a white and blue ship came to rest on. She called out to her teammate, but it was no use as Weiss never halted in her sprint.

Seeing no other choice, Blake followed after, catching up just as Weiss stopped right in front of where the landing ramp was going to be brought down from the elegant ship.

"Weiss? What's the matter?" The faunus asked as she stopped beside the other girl who had no intentions of looking anywhere else besides the ship.

"Nothing's the matter! She's here!" Weiss cheered as she clasped her hands together in front of herself, waiting impatiently for the main passenger to arrive.

"Who?"

The ramp lowered down, missing Weiss and Blake by less than a foot, and out stepped a proud, tall woman, hands clasped behind her back, as she marched off the ship.

Blake had to shake her head and blink her eyes once or twice, because she thought she was looking at a futuristic version of her girlfriend walk down towards her from the ramp. The woman wore Atlas military fatigues and her white silky hair was in a tight bun as a pair of familiar crystal blue eyes scanned perceptively around the port of Beacon Academy before landing on the pair in front of the ship.

"Winter! I-I mean…Your presence honors us." Weiss stopped herself enough to give a proper bow before raising back up with an excited smile.

"Weiss…I wasn't expecting to see you out of a hospital bed. What was it again? A street mugging?" Winter's eyes fell harshly on Weiss, criticizing her for everything out of place around her younger sister.

Blake did a few double takes as she could only assume that 'Winter' was either her mother or older sister. More believably the latter, as Winter didn't even look to be in her thirties yet. The conversation barely registered in her head as none of the numerous question already lingering there were answered as of yet.

"I-I can explain! And it wasn't a-…!" Weiss panicked, hoping to quell her sister's worry in that she couldn't take care of herself, but was silenced as Winter raised her hand.

"I sure hope so. But that may come later. Now, aren't you going to introduce me?" Winter's valuing eyes bore into Blake as she finished talking, clearly meaning the secret faunus.

Blake's bow sank as she suddenly felt naked out in public, like Winter could see all her faults out on display simply from a look.

"Oh! Of course! Winter, this is Blake Belladonna. My…teammate…" Weiss happily explained before becoming hung up on the faunus' title, a little blush gracing her cheeks that she hoped to hide from her sister by turning more towards Blake.

"I see…Greetings, Blake Belladonna. I do hope my sister hasn't been too much trouble for you and the rest of your team…" Winter extended a gloved hand and Blake took it instantly, finally starting to come back from the shock of an older Weiss.

"Not at all…Ms. Schnee..." The faunus said slowly, trying to not let all the years of White Fang ideals invade her thoughts of Weiss' sister like it had when she first met her now girlfriend. "…I consider Weiss… my closest friend at this school."

"Really? It's good to see she's at least made one friend here she can rely on. I hope I can trust you to keep her out of harm's way better next time?" Winter's grip on Blake's hand tightened like a vice to the point that it started to hurt the other girl before she let go, satisfied that she got her message across as Blake stealthfully shook her hand out from the pain behind her back.

"I'll do that, Ms. Schnee…" The secret faunus hoped that she hadn't been inadvertently letting out unwanted disdain for the older Schnee in her voice so far, as so many years of hate for that name was hard to be done with, even if she had several days with Weiss to help change that.

"Um, sister. Can I ask what the reason for this visit is?" Weiss hesitantly asked. She hoped it was to see if she was Ok after Winter apparently go the news that she was shot in Vale, but she seriously doubted that someone as busy as her sister could afford the time.

"Classified." Winter replied in monotone, not bothering to elaborate further as she motioned for them to walk with her.

"Right…" Weiss didn't seem perturbed by the short reply as she continued after her sister, Blake following along as well. "…So how long will you be staying?"

"Classified."

"Well, where are we headed to, then?" Weiss asked again, a smile still on her face as she walked just behind and to the side of her sister.

"Your-…" Winter was interrupted as Weiss' and Blake's scrolls went off almost simultaneously, as they were called.

"I'm so sorry, Winter! My partner seems to have the absolute worst timing!" Weiss apologized as she read Ruby's name on her scroll, about to hang it up, but then noticed that Yang's name was on Blake's.

"What do you think they want?" Blake asked, as she continued to stare at her scroll.

"There's a very simple way to figure that out…" Winter broke through their thoughts with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Right! This will just take a moment, Winter." Weiss blushed as she answered her scroll. "What is it, Ruby!? Now's not-…What? What mission?" She paused as Ruby began to excitedly inform her about the beacon east of Vale.

"Right now?" The heiress slowly asked as Ruby explained that Ozpin wanted the both of them at his office as soon as possible. She looked to Winter with an apologetic look as she agreed with her team leader. "We'll be there…"

Weiss put her scroll away shortly after Blake did, Yang having hung up as Ruby reached Weiss. "I'm sorry, Winter. It appears that we have our first team mission and professor Ozpin wants us at his office for the briefing."

"What a coincidence. That's where I'm needed as well." Winter broke through her sister's apology with a tame smile. "Let's go together. Maybe you could show me around a bit while we head that way as well?"

"O-Oh! Of course! Right this way." Weiss moved ahead of Winter to better lead her sister as she remained close to Blake out of habit, unaware of how someone noticed the unusual closeness between the two 'friends'.

* * *

The three shuffled out of the tower's elevator as the doors slid open, making their way inside the headmaster's office. There, they were greeted by the man himself along with Ruby, Yang, and Qrow. Along with Glynda who had showed up during the wait for the rest of team RWBY.

"Ice Queen." Qrow shortly welcomed Winter with a playful smile forming on his lips.

"Qrow…?" Winter uttered, near whispering, surprised to learn that he would be there as well.

Before Weiss could ask the question that had been bugging her since she met Qrow, Ozpin drew the room's attention with his calm, but charismatic voice.

"Ladies. I'm glad to see that you made it here so quickly. I hope you don't mind waiting a while, Winter. You arrived at a bit of an inopportune time."

Winter stood at the second pillar in front of Ozpin's desk, beside Qrow, as she answered. "I can wait as long as you need, sir." The Atlas soldier stood straighter as she gave him a salute, relaxing only slightly when he nodded to her.

"Thank you. Well then. Blake, Weiss. As I'm sure you know very little as to what you're here for. I'll start from the beginning again." Ozpin brought up a holographic display of the lands east of Vale, Mt. Glenn being the center of it.

"Is that…" Weiss trailed off for a moment as she remembered the story behind the fall of the ruined settlement.

"Mt. Glenn, yes. But that's not your objective. This…Is what you're after…" Ozpin brought his hands out, directing the lights of the map to zoom in on a forest with a blinking red dot just west of Mt. Glenn. He tapped the dot and a description came up for all in the room to read.

"Who's Onyx?" Blake asked as she read the distress signal.

"An old friend who used to teach at this school. He left a long time ago, and has only just recently popped back up with a call for help." The old vampire tapped on his desk and a picture of a black haired man with green eyes appeared above the hologram. "This is he. Your mission is to go and find this man. Help him if it's within means, but Qrow…" Ozpin looked to his top agent, his eyes burning with authority. "…Nothing too dangerous. Understood?"

"I understand, Oz. I've got this." Qrow brought a hand out of his crossed arms to give a thumbs up in assurance.

"Alright then. A bull-head will be dropping you off as close to the marker as possible without putting the bird in harm's way. There's a clearing right here, it's the closest one within such a dense forest that's not too close to the hot zone." Ozpin pointed to a treeless space a few miles from the red marker. "Once you've touched down, you should make your way closer to the point of origin. Then from there, listen to Qrow. He will be leading this operation, and will know the best way to sweep through the surrounding area looking for Onyx."

"While this mission shouldn't take longer than 24 hours, I recommend packing for three days just in case. You may end up having to make a trek back to Vale on foot if something happens. I'm sending you a list of all the essentials you will need while out there to your scrolls now, so make sure you have everything. You'll be leaving shortly, so make sure everyone is packed and ready to go by 6 P.M, team RWBY."

Ozpin laid his hands down on the glass display to take in each and every member of team RWBY individually. "I'm counting on each and every one of you to complete this task as swiftly and safely as possible. Ordinarily, first years such as yourselves wouldn't be allowed on such a mission, especially as it hasn't even been categorized in difficulty yet, but with you all now being involved with Ms. Rose's plight-…"

"Ms. Rose's-…Sir, you told them?! You told **Weiss**?!" Winter uncharacteristically interrupted Ozpin, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head at the shock that Weiss now knew the truth of their family's tragic past. She glanced over at her little sister with disbelieving eyes, having hoped to keep her from the truth for longer.

"They were bound to find out eventually with their leader being a vampire, Winter." Ozpin explained, understanding her shock. "Ms. Rose was the one to decide it was time to tell them, though. I think it was a wise choice to let go of the secrets between comrades. Wouldn't you agree, Winter?" He gave the Atlas agent a knowing look as he asked.

Multiple emotions flew through Winter's eyes before settling on a dull, guilt ridden gaze into nothing.

"Winter…What's he talking about?" Weiss asked slowly.

The older Schnee snapped out from her daze at her sister's voice. She tried to come up with something, to say anything, but her mouth wouldn't cooperate the way she wanted as she stared at Weiss, slack-jawed. "W-Weiss…I…I don't know what to say…"

"You knew…" The heiress whispered to the floor, having put it together at her older sister's regret ridden features.

Winter's eyes widened to their fullness as she picked up what Weiss muttered. She could no longer hide it.

"Weiss…I wanted to tell you, but it wasn't my place to say anything." Winter began to plead for her sister's understanding as Weiss slowly made her way towards the distraught Atlas agent. "No one was allowed to know about it except the members of the Council and their agen-…!"

Winter's explanation was halted as Weiss reached her destination, colliding with her older sister's body in a hug.

"How long did you know…?" Weiss' voice came out quietly and muffled from Winter's chest, but the taller of the two sisters heard it clearly ringing in her ears. How could she not, when her younger sister sounded so sad?

Not knowing what to make of the hug and the confusing emotion behind the question, Winter struggled with her response and whether she should return the sentiment of the open display of affection. "Two years…I learned of it during my last year at Atlas Academy… The same year you were supposed to be informed of it when you, yourself, graduated from this school…" Winter's voice carried regret for Weiss, as she felt she was told much too soon for her liking. "You must understand, Weiss. I couldn't tell anyone, no matter how badly they needed to know."

"I know…"

The response came as a surprise, but also a small relief to the Atlas agent. Winter then looked down at Weiss in her arms to see her little sister staring back.

"I had the conversation with Ruby and her sister. And then with the headmaster…" Weiss paused as she felt a shiver run up her spine from remembering the 'talk' she had with Ozpin. "I know you weren't allowed to tell me…It would have just put me in danger if I was made aware, and you in trouble for disobeying. It must have been so hard…"

"What do you mean?"

"You had no one to talk to about this… You were carrying the truth for two years from us and you had no one to help you with that burden…" Weiss hugged her again, trying to convey her feelings that Winter wasn't alone anymore, and it made the Atlas Agent smile for a brief moment.

' _Who's consoling who, now?'_ Winter thought before giving a subtle glance to the dark haired man leaning against the other pillar. She then looked back down to her sister, wanting to reassure her that she was Ok as she felt wetness on the shoulder of her uniform. "What are you crying for? That's no way for the heiress to the SDC to act in front of others…" Winter tilted Weiss' head up with her fingers to get her to look up at her, wanting to show her that everything was alright. "I'm fine, Weiss. Truly…I wasn't alone…"

Weiss felt relieved to hear that her older sister was doing well, but the last bit caught her attention. "What? Who was-…?"

"Winter, would you like some more time with young Ms. Schnee in private?" Ozpin asked, seeing that the conversation could go on for longer, and it may not be in the best interest for everyone here to be present during said conversation.

"N-No sir! I'm sorry for the interruption. Please continue." Winter spun around to face the headmaster once again and give him another salute, a shade of red ghosting across her face as she realized she had almost said too much.

"Very well, then." Ozpin said, hiding a smile on the inside. "Just one more thing to cover before you're all dismissed. You, Weiss, were recently wounded quite severely and hospitalized. Are you certain you're in shape to carry out this mission with your team?"

As everyone looked to the heiress beside her sister, Weiss slowly reached her hand up to her chest to feel for the wound. She internally sighed as there was no sting of pain from the prodding, only a dull ache as she felt the scar tissue over the half inch hole in her chest. She looked back up to the headmaster with a confident smile.

"It's healed up nicely thanks to my aura, sir. No problems here!"

Holding back a sigh as the team was fully determined for this foolish endeavor, Ozpin clutched his staff as he took his seat once more. "Very well then… Any questions before you're dismissed?"

After a few head shakes from the majority of team RWBY, the leader herself was about to answer for them before she was struck with a question of her own. "Oh, Professor! Is it possible for Yang and Blake to get silver upgrades to their weapons as well? Like mine?"

"I'm actually glad you brought that up, Ms. Rose. Glynda…?" Ozpin smiled over to his second hand as she sent him a nod, making her way to a side room.

Glynda came back with a big black attaché case and set it in front of Ruby on the glass desk. She quickly unlatched it and flipped up the top half revealing its contents to the red haired girl.

Inside was a giant crescent-shaped silver blade, identical in size to the head of Ruby's Crescent Rose, along with a pointed pommel made of the same metal to go at the end of the scythe's shaft. What really shocked the team leader though, was the intricate design along the face of the blades. Masterfully carved shapes swirled and curved across the surface of the head ending just as they met the sharp edge. The cylindrical, spiked pommel was wrapped in similar carvings, but with four small studs jutting out on the sides for added flare.

Ozpin noticed her surprised expression at the details and decided to fill her in. "While you never made any specific demands for the details on your weapon, someone else took the liberty for you…" The headmaster swung his head slightly to the slouched man against one of the center pillars, directing Ruby to the culprit.

"What?" Qrow grunted as everyone's eyes were on him, playing it off as it was no big deal.

"You made it look like your scythe, uncle Qrow!" Yang exclaimed with a smile as she noticed it too.

"What? No, it's completely different. Look again!" Qrow swiftly denied, directing them back to the blade display on the desk.

Now looking closer at the details, the group noticed where the artistic scrawlings originated from. At the back of the scythe blade, just as the detailed carvings start running down the face of it, was a blooming rose. It was literally the start of the markings, as the lines that curved down the blade ran from each of the etched petals making up the rose as they got smaller and smaller.

Ruby ran a finger over the center petal once she spotted her insignia, slowly tracing its path down the length of the blade.

"See? That's all you, Ruby. That's your weapon, through and through kiddo." Qrow added with a smile, watching her fascination over the detail. _'At least, it is now… I'm sure Summer would have wanted it this way…'_ The man thought, resolute in his idea to pass on White Calvary in another form.

In the midst of his thoughts, he hardly noticed the red shimmer bolt into his stomach and wrap around him. He stumbled back a step from the force, but after catching his balance, placed a hand on Ruby's head and back to return the swift hug.

"Thanks, Uncle Qrow! It's awesome!" Came Ruby's muffled voice as her head never left his chest, softly crying.

"…Don't mention it…"

It was all he could think to say as Qrow had trouble coming up with a proper response as Summer's legacy was in his arms, happily crying. The dusty old crow hugged her tighter, hoping to keep her in such good spirits, as he knew that she had a more difficult road soon approaching her.

* * *

Not wanting to break their moment up just yet, Ozpin eventually acquired the whole group's attention again. "You were asking earlier if we were able to get the rest of your team fashioned with similar weapons. Is that correct, Ms. Rose?"

At his question, the buried red haired head in Qrow's chest rose up and turned in realization. Ruby's body soon followed as she pulled out of her uncle's embrace to face her headmaster once more.

"It is!-Erhm… I-Is that possible, sir?" Ruby's voice cracked before mumbling in embarrassment as she looked down at her hands and away from the elder vampire, finding them incredibly interesting at the moment.

"I'll see what I can do. We can discuss specifics later, but for now you're dismissed to get ready for your first mission, team RWBY." Ozpin answered as he gave them a nod to leave.

"Yes sir!" Ruby said for her team as they turned towards the door to leave the office and pack.

* * *

Winter stepped forward in front of the desk, ready to discuss her real reason for coming all the way from Atlas now that the floor was open to her.

"So what brings Ironwood's top agent here to Vale? It's unlike you to step away from your work for so long." Ozpin asked as he took a sip from his mug.

"I came to seek help in dealing with our problem in Atlas, sir. We've heard nothing of Schatten for months and General Ironwood doesn't like how quiet he's gone. I happen to agree with him, sir. It's unsettling. He must be planning something big, and if we're to stop his plans then we need to figure out what he's up to."

"Indeed." Ozpin agreed easily, knowing how big a threat the former Council member posed to their organization. "I currently have all of my agents suited for this task out on other missions, unfortunately. Although, this Onyx mission shouldn't take too long. How do you feel like going to Atlas afterwards, Qrow?" The headmaster asked with a hidden sly smile.

Both Qrow, and for a short moment, Winter lit up at the idea. Their surprised eyes briefly betraying their acceptance of the Council leader's question.

"Well, I don't know. It cou-…" Qrow started to rub at the top of his head, beating around the bush, before being cut off by Winter beside him.

"If that is the suggestion of the Council leader, then I accept on behalf of General Ironwood."

"I see." Ozpin looked at the both of them with his signature knowing smile while he continued. "Then we'll discuss more after Qrow returns from his current mission. Is that all, Ms. Schnee?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you for your time and help." The Atlas agent gave another salute as she smiled, before turning to leave the tower with Qrow shortly behind her.

"My pleasure." The Council leader hummed in reply before turning back to his work.

* * *

Winter hit the ground floor button on the elevator pad once the doors closed and immediately the silence took over the small metal box descending towards their destination. All but except the quiet elevator music and the shuffling of feet as both leaned against the back wall of the space.

"So what was the real reason you came to Vale? Jimmy could have had anyone come to ask for Ozpin's help. Yet he sends his best as an errand girl?"

Winter didn't know whether she was grateful for the break in silence or upset, as the question seemed to make the awkward quietness that much more awkward between them at the off-handed compliment.

"You know why, Qrow…" She answered in an uncharacteristically soft voice.

"Yeah…She's doin' just fine though, Win. Just got the wind knocked out of her s'all. She's a tough one. Reminds me of someone else I know." Qrow answered with a sarcastic tone, a wry smile on his face. It seemed to put a smile on hers as well, knowing just who he was talking about.

"She sure is…" Her smile suddenly fell as she thought about her sister and the Council. "...I'm just worried she's moving too fast. Her first year, and she's already going on a Council mission?" Winter asked in a disbelieving voice before she felt a hand come down on her shoulder gently.

"A mission that I'll be on as well. I'll watch her back, Winter."

Winter looked at the hand, then up to the person that it belonged to, before looking back down at her feet with a smile. _'How can you be so laid back about everything, but still so dependable?'_ Winter said in her head, thinking of the past. "Thank you."

"Just doing my job…" Qrow said kindly as the elevator dinged and he walked out with a hand over his shoulder, waving bye. Before Winter could return the farewell, another familiar voice cut in.

"Winter!" Weiss cheered as she caught sight of her sister in the elevator, ignoring Qrow who continued past her.

"Weiss? Where you waiting for me to be finished?" Winter controlled her blush as she knew she was only just smiling at Qrow as he left. She didn't want her sister to get the wrong idea, after all.

"Well, we're leaving on our mission tonight, and I didn't know if I would see you once we came back. I wanted to make sure I could give you a proper farewell before you left Beacon." Weiss informed with a smile, not noticing her sister's embarrassment.

"I see. I do have to leave soon for my flight back to Atlas, but I don't see why we can't talk for a few minutes." Weiss was happy to oblige, as they both took a far seat in the lobby of the giant tower to get more comfortable and gain a bit of privacy.

* * *

"So, do you think you're fully prepared for your mission?" Winter asked in a stern voice, simply still worried for her sister.

"W-Well I haven't begun to pack. I waited fo-Oww!" Weiss started to panic, not wanting to disappoint her sister, before a sharp, but short pain ran through her forehead in the form of a quick finger flick.

"I meant mentally, Weiss! Are you ready for the challenges that await you?" Winter's voice softened as she became even more worried that her sister hadn't completely come to terms with what she was going against. "You'll be stranded out in the wilderness with nothing but your teammates to help you with the dangers. If something happens, you can't just call for help and expect a group of highly trained guards or huntsmen to arrive immediately! You need to be ready to handle any situation. How have your glyphs been coming along?"

"I'm getting used to acceleration glyphs! I used them in my last few spars." Weiss informed, proud of her accomplishments.

"And what about summoning?" Winter asked, knowing the answer already.

"You know it's impossible for me…" Weiss explained in a defeated tone.

"It's not impossible, Weiss. All Schnee's have the ability to summon." Seeing her sister's downcast expression, Winter decided to give her a bit of inspiration to keep trying.

A small white glyph appeared just above Winter's upward faced right palm, slowly spinning as she activated it with her aura. An almost ethereal, pure, white-as-snow, alpha Beowolf manifested beside the older Schnee in an instant.

The occurrence should have startled Weiss, if not for the fact that she had seen this many times before. A smile graced her lips as she watched the once enemy of mankind lower its head for Winter to rub behind its giant furry ears.

"Weiss. You have to keep trying." At that, the smile turned to a frown as the heiress lowered her head, knowing her sister was right.

The white haired huntress in training was usually all for studying and practice. Normally, but when no results were ever shown for her hard work, it became very demoralizing for the 17 year old in this aspect of her training.

"If not…" Winter's voice continued, gaining Weiss' attention again as the tone settled on one that the little sister was not used to. "…Then how will you be able to protect that 'friend' of yours?"

Weiss' response was one as elegant as she could muster.

"Huh?"

"What was her name? The one at the docks? Blake, right?" Winter had a finger on her chin, as if she was in deep thought of the girl's name, a smile betraying her feigned ignorance as she dismissed her summon effortlessly.

"Th-that's her name, yes…" Weiss answered as a slight blush crept up her neck leading to her cheeks.

"Right. And when did you two become… 'Friends'…?" Winter said, again putting special emphasis on the last word.

"I…I'm not sure what yo-…" Weiss sputtered slowly, trying to deny her sister's claims, passing it off as ignorance. It didn't seem to work though, as her sister cut her off.

"Weiss, you glanced at her at least every 10 seconds when you showed me to Ozpin's office. I counted…" The older sister ended in an unimpressed tone as she raised an elegant brow, waiting for her sister's follow-up.

"I-I can explain!" Weiss panicked as her secret relationship with Blake suddenly wasn't very secret.

Winter shook her head at the outburst and eyed the room that was around them, giving Weiss a hint to the problem.

Weiss' blush increased 10 fold as a few eyes were on the Schnee sisters. She lowered her head in embarrassment and waited for the heat to go down as people slowly continued their business, leaving them to their pseudo-privacy once again.

As silence was just starting to take over the small couch they were seated on, Weiss questioned her older sister. "Are you going to tell father…?" Her voice was quiet, but filled with worry. Not just to be heard again by others, but in fear of the answer her sister may give.

"No, Weiss." Winter's hand covered Weiss', getting her attention as well as comforting her as she gave a gentle squeeze. Her little sister opened her mouth to speak, but she silenced her with her other hand raised up between them.

"This whole 'leaving Atlas' ordeal was meant for you to discover who you were, and what you wanted to do as heiress. That's what you told me when you wanted my help in convincing father to let you come here, correct?" Winter's tone was softer than normal. A tone which Weiss was rarely able to hear, even as her sister.

Weiss could only nod as she looked away with a small smile working back up her lips, realizing that her sister was still looking out for her. She locked her fingers with Winter's, sending the same affectionate squeeze as before.

"You're doing…Well here, sister. Father need not know about this for the time being. I promise…" Winter encouraged her sister, honestly impressed that she was already being sent on her first Council mission during her first year. As well as making as many friends as she has in such a short time. "…As long as you never stop improving."

Weiss groaned on the inside as she knew her older sister would never stop bugging her about the summoning glyphs.

"Yes, Winter…" It came out as tired and annoyed, but the smile was genuine on Weiss' face as she was truly thankful that her sister was accepting of her newfound situation. Winter let out and imperceptible giggle at her sister's remark and tone, hiding it behind her hand before changing the topic.

"Alright. Now that that's settled…How serious are you two?" Winter asked with a face only a teasing older sister could make.

"Wh-…I…!" Weiss sputtered as she glanced around the room in case someone heard her sister.

No one was at the entrance and the elevator had yet to be used since Winter came down with Qrow. All that was left in the lobby were the sisters and the secretary who was currently busy on the phone, turned away from the Schnees.

Winter's voice sought Weiss' attention once again with another question. "How do you feel about each other?"

Weiss turned back to her sister and expected the same teasing face, but was met with a gentle smile that tugged at Winter's lips.

It brought one to her own, and a blush as Weiss turned away to begin thinking of an answer.

"She… Told me she loves me..." Weiss answered quietly, the smile and pink blush growing bigger in her sister's presence.

"And how do **you** feel?"

There was a full minute of silence before Weiss responded. Winter almost raised her hand to her little sister's shoulder to grab her attention, but stopped as the heiress began to speak again.

"…I believe I've been in love with her since our first kiss…When we broke apart I had almost forgotten how to breathe. Realizing that now, I feel like such an idiot, but at the time all I could think about was kissing her again…" Weiss stared off into the room as she rambled, not realizing that Winter had a blissful smile on her own face.

"You already love each other?" Winter had her teasing tone back, but she couldn't help but think how she was no different. _'Do all Schnees fall this hard this fast?'_

"Yes…" Weiss answered with some playful bite from the recent tease of her sister.

"I don't disbelieve you, sister. Forgive me if I hit a nerve. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page." The older sister said with a hint of humor in her voice. "Still, it sounds like things are going very well for you two… Just make sure you don't rush into anything you're not…Ready for. Ok? And if there's ever anything you need to talk about, I want you to know that I'm always available."

"Right." Weiss said with a smile.

Winter then checked the time on her scroll and nearly lost her cool at the display. "I'm sorry, sister, but I really must be going. At this rate I'll be late for my flight back to Atlas. I wish we had more time before I had to go, but I'm needed back as soon as possible."

"I understand. You're very busy…" Weiss said with a reluctant smile, truly missing her sister as they both stood from their seats in the lobby.

"But never too busy for family, Weiss." Winter said with a reassuring smile as she placed a hand on her shoulder, comfortingly. "I mean it. If you ever want to call to talk. I'll make time, if at all possible."

Weiss ignored the hand on her shoulder as she went straight for a hug, wrapping her arms around Winter and squeezing tightly. "I've really missed you…" She mumbled into her sister's chest, before pulling out to look up at her with a glassy-eyed smile. "It was great to see you again, Winter."

"And you as well, dear sister." The older sister agreed as she accepted the hug in turn, holding Weiss for a few more moments before she had to leave.

With farewells said and Winter on her way back to the airship docks to board her ship once again, Weiss was left missing her sister already. She had a mission to plan and pack for, though.

Her first mission...

* * *

 **Alright! Team RWBY's first mission! Let's hope they don't fuck it up! XD**

 **And Winter is such a great sister when she shows it! I tried to keep in parallel with the canon arrival of Winter as much as I could while still making it seem like my story, and I think it turned out pretty well.**

 **I hope that was worth the wait! I'm still trying to pick up the pace, but work has yet to slow down, which honestly is a good thing, just not for my writing schedule. :( I'll see what I can do though! Peace!**


	31. Still Of The Night

**Yada Yada Yada, I'm super late in posting this chapter, I know! I'm sorry! But hey, I got good news. I started a new story! That's what took me so long! Thanks to my beta reader, Jam, I feel pretty good about it. I also have the 1st 5 chapters already written out! I stock piled them so I could release one per month until I finish, so here's to hoping I don't fall behind! The story is called the Fall of Remnant, and its a RWBY~Halo crossover! I'm pretty psyched about it, and I hope you'll give it a try.**

 **Now onto this thing! The mission starts! But not before we get another check-up on our favorite Ocelot faunus-turned vampire!**

 **Oh, and about the chapter title...Any Whitesnake fans out there? xD**

* * *

Chapter 31: Still of the Night

"You did what?!" a voice growled out into the desolate streets of Mt. Glenn.

The Sun was cresting towards its apex for the day as it was mid-afternoon within the ruined city. The air was noticeably still as Emerald and Mercury had finished bringing the last of the nomad group formerly led by Onyx and Leo to the discussed rendezvous spot, only to be surprised when the Ocelot faunus was the one to greet them on their return.

"So we played around with him a bit before we finished him, so what? I don't s-…!" Mercury half-heartedly defended their actions as he made to step past the clearly upset woman as if her complaints held nothing over them. This proved a bad idea when instantly, he was choke slammed into the side of a crumbling building and held there by Scarlett.

"The whole reason you were sent outside the city was to get people while remaining **undetected**! Now you're telling me that the one's looking for Cinder are onto us?!" Scarlett spat in outrage as her newly acquired vampiric nature showed itself to the two soul bound undead in the form of glowing red eyes and inhuman strength. She easily held up the boy by his throat, her shaking free hand baring her cat claws as if she was going to end him right then and there.

An irrepressible sensation was rising within the vampire's head. Calling out for the useless life within her grasp over and over, only growing in clarity and volume as the ghoul squirmed in her grasp.

"You're right! We screwed up! But we'll be long gone before anyone tracks that beacon to this dump, so calm down!" Emerald grabbed the arm holding her partner up as she looked Scarlett in the eyes to try and talk reason. She found that the new vampire had no such intentions though, as she only clenched tighter on the hold and raised him a few inches higher. It was as if touching her only made the faunus more aggressive.

"What happened to you…?" It came out as a harsh, fearful, whisper as Emerald's red orbs narrowed on the changed woman.

Scarlett gasped as a moment of clarity sparked in her natural blue and yellow irises. She did not release him immediately though. Only relaxing her grip as she blinked a few times in dizziness. "I…I-I don't…!" Her head spun as the creeping whisper desiring his life vanished in an instant, leaving her lost.

With that, the new fledgling dropped her hold on Merc and let him recover on his own as she palmed the side of her head and turned to start walking away at a brisk pace. "Y-You still have your orders, so get back to it!" Scarlett growled out before continuing deeper into the demolished cityscape. "I'll deal with anyone that comes snooping after you." The last words held a sense of pain as she did her best to not stumble away in front of them, leaving their sight.

"Well…That's great…We have another one to deal with…" Mercury choked out as he regained his composure, certain that she was far enough away to not pick him up.

"Yeah… And this one seems just as short tempered as Cinder…Are they all crazy like that?" Emerald contributed before the two headed further in as well, but in a different direction.

Shortly after leaving Scarlett's presence, the two ghouls linked back up with the White Fang members that had gone ahead with the escort of the nomads and proceeded with their mission. Giving it little thought as to what was occurring within the new vampire fledgling…

* * *

"Wh-What's…H-Happening…?" The black and brown haired ocelot faunus groaned as she slumped against an alleyway wall to brace herself with one hand. She looked at it clutched into the wall as she suddenly felt she would retch, doubling over in the dirty walkway as she put her other hand over her stomach, now on her hands and knees. Her eyes were flipping their colors between their normal yellow and blue to radiating red every time she blinked. The new fledgling wheezed as a pressure steadily continued to build within her belly. Like a fire was being stoked within, ready to consume her, before it faded in an instant. Her eyes shot open as the agony ceased, tears blinked away as she huffed for breath.

' _The process is getting easier now. Maybe…That means it-…'_ Scarlett almost managed to smile, as she thought her transformations were becoming easier to overcome as a sign that this period was almost over with, before her mind was shattered like glass.

She released a heart wrenching bellow as she reared up to scream at the sky. Every bone, organ, artery, and vein abruptly pulsing with the curse as it was made anew. The faunus dropped back down to her hands as she heaved for breath, her body still writhing as it felt like something was cutting its way through every nook and cranny of her flesh.

Scarlett whimpered a weak plead for it to be over as she felt that familiar pressure in her stomach again. Except this time, it felt like whatever it was, was poking at her from inside. She peered down at her stomach and her flickering eyes widened as she could see a mass bulging out. Terrified for her life, she reached to clutch at her stomach to try and stop it, but as she did, she felt nothing there.

Curious, Scarlett moved her hand away to get a better look, thinking maybe her pain addled mind was playing tricks on her… Just as a curved red blade jumped out of her belly, coming straight for her face…!

Scarlett awoke with a startled scream, coming to face-down within the same alleyway she had collapsed, but the sun of the new day had started to appear in the form of early light bouncing off of the alley wall.

Pushing herself up after a few calming breaths, she checked her mid-section for any cuts, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

Realizing it was just a dream produced from her changing periods as a new vampire, the fledgling sighed deeply as she wiped her sweat slicked multi-colored hair out of her eyes and sat down to catch herself. "Just a dream…"

After a moment of respite, Scarlett looked around the trash filled passageway to determine which way would lead her away from here and to her destination. After getting her bearings, she got up and dusted herself off, ready to discuss the next step with her men in figuring out what to do about potential interlopers.

She nearly stumbled the first step however, when something caught her boot. But when she turned to check, she noticed nothing but old newspapers and empty bottles littering the filthy passage. With an annoyed grunt and a grumble about being too worn out for this, she turned back to keep going, not noticing the scarlet shadow in the form of a blade waft away into black ash from under her heel as it lost contact with her and was exposed to the light…

* * *

 **The day before…**

The Sun had nearly descended from the sky of dark purple as a bullhead came to a stop above a forest East of Vale. Five figures leapt from the ship and into the green abyss before the transport vehicle took off back towards civilization.

"We should try to make some ground before stopping to camp. The sooner we get there the better. Ruby. Blake. Why not take point with your better senses?" Qrow's gruff voice carried out, receiving some quick nods as the team sped their way into the timberlands, weapons at the ready.

With dim light as the only source for the team, it made sense that the nocturnal would be the ones to lead, assuring their safety from unintentionally dropping in on creatures of Grimm as they traveled unabated for the next half hour or so.

Dark mist dissipated into the night sky as Qrow flicked his sword off and placed it on the small of his back once again. They found another lone Beowulf out hunting along their path and he elected to take care of it himself instead of changing course to avoid the minor threat.

With their light now all but gone, the huntsman checked his scroll for the beacon's location to keep track of the group's progress. "We're little more than a mile out from Onyx's last known location. I think here's a good spot to make camp. We don't want to get too close that we might be caught by whatever he needed help in dealing with."

"Speaking of making camp. Professor Ozpin told us what to bring, but you don't seem to have anything else on besides your sword. What gives?" Yang asked as she pointed a thumb to her own back to show off the rucksacks each of them were wearing.

"Kid. **This** is all I need." Qrow chuckled as he gave the hilt of his sword a pat. "Stay here to set up your tents and make a fire pit for us. I'll be back before you know it." Before anyone could get an answer out of him, he disappeared into the shroud of the forest, leaving them without an explanation as to why he left.

"Welp! See ya in a bit!" Yang chirped out as she slung her pack to the ground, heading off in a different direction of Qrow.

"Yang? Where are you going?" Ruby asked her sister, looking away from the pile of metal sticks and red tarp she had splayed out to build into her tent.

"Fire wood. Can someone else set up the pit? I'll only be a few minutes." Cheery lilac locked with silver as she smiled at her leader.

"I-I'll come with you!" Ruby stuttered as she rose up from her mess.

Yang released a patient breath as she pulled her sister under her arm in a headlock. "Someone's clingy~…" She laughed as Ruby tried to fight out of the hold, finally letting her sister have her way as she eventually relented. No doubt red dusting across the younger one's face at the comment. "…Wait right here, Rubes. I'll be back before you know it!" With that, she delivered a heartwarming kiss to her crimson tinged locks before completely letting her go, only to start towards the edge of the camp.

"O-ok…" The young fledgling whispered as she witnessed Yang disappear into the thicket.

She stared for a moment longer at the empty space, not even noticing that she was biting her lip in trepidation until she felt a familiar liquid seep into her mouth. She quickly wiped away the blood as a quick curse left her lips, annoyed that she had fallen into her bad habit again.

Seeing Weiss and Blake setting up their tents on the other side of the small clearing, the red head followed their lead, trying for something to take her mind off the sinking feeling in her stomach.

* * *

If she needed something to occupy her time with, then setting her tent surely fit the bill, as Ruby stared down at the bundle of metal rods strewn together by lines, all tangled up in a heap along with the ruby colored tarp.

"How did you even manage that?" Weiss asked as the monochrome pair had finished with their tents and the fire pit minutes ago, only to see Ruby over her pile of failure that, to a certain blonde, might look like a giant ball of yarn that a particular cat faunus might want to play with.

"I-I don't know! Please help!?" Ruby begged as the heiress just shook her snow white head in futility.

"I don't think there's anything to help with, Ruby. I doubt we could manage to untangle it in a feasible amount of time, let alone set it up. So why bother? Just share your tent with Yang?" Weiss put forth with a hand out as a gesture towards the missing brawler, before she blinked in recognition. "Where is she?"

"Yang! Sh-She said she would be right back, but that was so long ago!" Ruby started to panic.

"It's been 10 minutes…" Blake deadpanned as she slipped a gaze towards her girlfriend, almost worried for their leader.

"Exactly! Wh-What if she's lost! O-Or hurt!" Ruby then turned away from the pair to look back to the forest for signs of her sister. "Yang!"

"Ruby. I'm sure-…" Weiss began to reason with her partner, her eyes closed to better explain with deeper thought, only to be momentarily stopped as a hand landed on her shoulder. "…She's already gone, isn't she…?" She asked Blake before she opened her eyes, receiving an affirmative nod as well as the proof when she noticed a plume of rose pedals floating around them in the empty space of the vampire girl.

"Huhh…Sometimes I still can't believe she's the same leader that got us all through the initiation. She's just so impulsive and childish…" The Schnee sighed, thinking back on how inspirational Ruby seemed to be after coming back with Yang who was somehow still alive after her near life ending fall. Only to then think of all the other moments that were in complete contrast to her leader in that moment.

"Yeah, well…Like mother, like daughter…" A gravelly tone interrupted Weiss and Blake as Qrow returned while holding a string over his shoulder that appeared to hold a bit of weight to it. "…What did Ruby do this time? Or were you talking about Yang? Cause both of them are pretty similar in that regard…"

"Uh, is that…?" Blake began to question what Qrow held on his back, before the smell of fresh blood caught her sensitive nose. "Nevermind… Ruby went after Yang, because she's afraid something's happened to her. She left to go get firewood, but hasn't returned in a few minutes."

"She's overreacting, like usual…" Weiss finished with her arms crossed, but heard a deep chuckle from the experienced huntsman.

"Would you two be much different?" Qrow asked as he went to work cleaning the rabbits he found within the forest, getting them ready to cook.

"I don't see what-…" Weiss lashed out defensively, before she was interrupted by the red eyed man again.

"How would you handle it if an extremely powerful homicidal vampire was after you and Blake and she had gone missing out here?" Qrow asked, nodding towards the faunus, but not looking away from his catch.

Weiss opened her mouth, but said nothing as she looked down at her feet.

"Yeah, I thought so. Regardless, Ruby would be worried about her anyways. She wants nothing more than to protect those around her. To make sure that everyone's happy…." Qrow sighed as he stopped for a moment, thinking back. "…It's just the way she was…"

"Was…?" Blake picked up on the reminiscent tone, wondering if there was something she was missing from his external thoughts.

"Is…!" He hastily corrected, not even realizing he had started to think of the late vampire mother. "Look. Ruby's just reminds me of her mother, that's all… Two of the kindest, most generous people on Remnant…" Even with his complimenting words, the tone conveyed nothing but sorrow, especially as he shook his head in pity. _'Unfortunately, it's the kind ones that seem to go first…'_

"What was she like? Summer?" Weiss asked softly as she took a seat on a log along with Blake, toeing the line of what was acceptable to query as her curiosity got the better of her. She wondered more about the woman that raised her partner. The person that helped against Schatten to protect the Council that she may very well be aiding one day.

"Heh…I say that she's just like her daughter, but one contrast would be if Summer ever had a differing opinion on something, good luck changing her mind." Qrow simpered as he absentmindedly cleaned his skinning knife. Once he finished, he glanced over to the pair with a humorous grin as a memory occurred to him. "You know, I think Oz chose her as leader because he knew how impossibly stubborn Summer would be as a subordinate!"

The man released a small chuckle as the other pair simply smiled at the remark. He carried on with a more subdued grin on his lips, never minding the fact that he was hardly one to talk about the past so openly. Only caught in the reminiscence of his time knowing his former leader.

Putting his knife away, Qrow laid down on his side with his hand to prop up his head as he stared into the forest behind the pair sitting on the log. "Summer would get so upset when Raven or I would take off without permission during a mission. And I would always trade back with a tease saying something like, 'at least you have Tai to look after!'" A chortle left the laid back huntsman. "The way she glared at me with an embarrassed pout was so adorable…"

After that the man calmed down, the smile on his face faded ever so slightly, but it stayed alight as he imagined her features again, lost in his memories of her.

As a period of silence over took the small encampment, the monochrome pair gazed at each other, both wondering the same thing.

"You had a crush on her…" Blake stated, a smirk cresting the side of her mouth as she knew she was right.

"Yeah, no shit…Not that that does me any good now, right?" Qrow brushed off the comment with a long draw from his flask. After wiping his mouth of the burning liquid, he folded his hands behind his head to stare up at the sky, savoring the warmth spreading down his throat that would soon turn to numbness.

"Why didn't you say anything…?" Weiss asked, this time feeling sorry for the man.

"Cause I fucked up." He replied simply, not bothering to face the pair as he closed his eyes. But after a moment of silence, Qrow cracked an eye to see them staring at him, Weiss making a gesture to elaborate further. "Mistakes were made, ok…? Ones that I felt I could never make up for…She deserved much better…"

The words hit hard for Blake, as she glanced over at Weiss to take her hand, feeling fortunate that she was able to see past her time with the White Fang. A smile returned to her lips when she felt her girlfriend mimic the gesture with a tight squeeze, still staring at Qrow as the white haired huntress began to talk.

"Well of course she deserved better than you! Look at you! How many drinks have you had today? I hardly know anything about Ruby's mom, and I know that she could have done better than you!" Weiss berated harshly, pulling no stops for the drunk feeling sorry for himself as his choice of words really set her off.

"Yeah, yeah. I get-…!" The red eyed man started to wave off, before the heiress picked up again, not letting up.

"Why would she choose someone like you!? …Someone who wouldn't even give her the chance to choose for herself who she wanted to be with…" Weiss finished softly, a frown overtaking her face as she glared at the man on the ground.

Qrow took a glance at the small girl, wondering if she really said that before determining that it wasn't just his imagination. He looked away again as he was reminded of Winter from her younger sister. A slow exhale left his throat as he closed his eyes, feeling like such a dumbass.

"Whatever you did, doesn't excuse you from telling someone how you feel!" Weiss yelled as she gripped Blake's hand harder. A breath then left her mouth as she flushed out the anger in place of determination. "…You could always make it up to them by apologizing. And showing them that you've changed…" She whispered, turning to her girlfriend before leaning on her shoulder as she locked their fingers together.

A soft, inaudible huff of amusement left his throat as he sat up. Finding it almost funny that he was going to make the same mistake again, before being lectured about it by Winter's younger sister. "Right. Um, thanks for the… The pep talk. I think I really needed that… _'Along with a good slap to the face'_ …Enjoy the rabbit, I guess…"

With an awkward pause, he then got to his feet and jumped away into the blackness, leaving them by themselves.

Silence once again took over the camp as the pair smiled at each other before returning to their close embrace, a thought soon occurring to Weiss.

"We should really get that fire going…" The heiress could barely make out the wry grin that graced her girlfriend's face through the darkness as she said that, knowing that the faunus hardly needed any visual aid at all.

"I'll go get some kindling…" Blake groaned comically as she got up, causing Weiss to release a cute giggle that she adored, making the effort more than worth it as she smiled in turn.

* * *

"Yaang! Ya-aaang!" A troubled voice screamed out into the dark woods, only dim starlight and pieces of the moon out to give illumination to the small red cloaked figure.

Ruby clutched her cape tighter as she continued, scared that something truly terrible happened to the blonde. Sliding down a small decline she was luckily able to make out, thanks to her vampirism, she kept searching for any signs of her sister, good or bad.

She was just about ready to call out Yang's name for the hundredth time, before she heard something other than the small insects chirping around her. It was quiet at first, barely even audible over the noise of the wildlife. Like a continuous crashing. Soon turning into a roar that never seemed to stop, only getting louder as she decided to follow after it.

Stepping over an exposed root as she clutched the tree trunk it belonged to so she wouldn't trip, Ruby soon gazed up to discover a magnificent sight ahead. A crystal clear pool of water surrounded by large rocks with a 12 foot high waterfall cascading down into it from a cliff above. You could nearly see the stars above from the waters in the pool, if not for the rippling the infinite current of vertical aqua caused.

What really gripped her attention though, was not the way the water seemed to splash down into the small pond endlessly. Nor was it the near mirror like quality of the water. It was the way the small luminescent starlight gently kissed Yang's naked curves as she stood up from soaking her hair in the waterfall.

The brawler's usually untamable golden mane was now straight and flowed down her shoulder as she cocked her head to the side and squeezed it out into the pool that came up to her hips. Her back was to Ruby, and that proved unacceptable to the young girl as her body started moving on its own, wanting to get a closer look.

Unfortunately, because she couldn't take her gaze from her adoptive sister's body, she failed to notice the next set of unearthed roots in her path. Ruby's foot caught one, and she came tumbling down with an audible yelp as she landed on her face within a second.

While groaning in the dirt, before she even had a chance to raise her head up, Ruby heard a loud splash as water was displaced nearby. Followed by a familiar voice…

"Who-…Ruby?! I was just about to tear you apart thinking you were some creep spy-…Ruby…? What were you doing over here?" Yang asked, ready to beat up some random peeping tom, only to then slow down with her question as she realized that her sister hadn't exactly made her presence known on purpose. Instead of becoming upset with Ruby however, a wicked grin spread across the girl's beautiful face.

"I-I was worried about you so…So I came to find you to make sure you were ok…F-Found you…" Ruby squeaked out, staring up at her girlfriend's exposed and dripping body, causing fierce scarlet to envelope her entire face.

Meanwhile, Yang just smiled down at her leader with her hands on her hips, no longer angered from being spotted if it was Ruby seeing her. "Sure did…Find anything else? You sure are staring intently~…" Yang asked salaciously, feeling her girlfriend's eyes never leaving her chest.

That was, until that comment. Ruby let out an 'eep' as she jerked her head away, not even realizing she was still staring as her blush persisted under her sister's watch.

Yang let out a harmless giggle as she turned away and sat down at the pool's edge, sinking her legs into the cool waters to relax while waiting on her sister to recover from embarrassment. "It's fine, Ruby. I'm not mad or anything. It was actually…Kinda exciting to think you were watching me…" She said chuckling, a bit of pink showing in the face at the admission. "…You seem to always shy away when you see me like this…I…" Yang's pitch took on a more somber one, but it wasn't allowed to go any further as she felt a warmth encircle her in the form of a red cloak. She looked down at the fabric across her shoulders, and just as she realized it was indeed her sister's cape, she felt Ruby press her forehead into the back of her neck.

"That's cause I don't know what to do with myself when I see all of you…It's just so confusing!" The red head breathed out in self-pity. "…But that doesn't mean I don't like it…" Ruby whispered cautiously into her golden hair, only wanting her sister to understand. If her heart was still capable of beating, she knew it would be primed to burst right about now.

Peering down and just past her right shoulder, Yang could see Ruby's right hand clenched into the grass. Mind made up, she slowly turned around, meeting her love's gaze as she took her sister's hand in her own and smiled. "…I know…"

Ruby's vision swam in those warm pools of lavender as she found herself smiling as well. She let it happen as Yang pushed forward. The ever brash blonde invading her space as she crawled closer, easing the silver eyed girl onto her back with a gentle coaxing on her shoulder.

The beginning embers of a roaring fire were coming to life within Ruby, similar to that same morning when they had spent time alone in the shower. It was starting to become clear to the young girl, what the yearning inside was asking for. That she wished to be closer to the girl that she had spent the majority of her life with. Impossibly closer…

Yang's hair was still wet and unkempt, as it dripped again and again around Ruby who laid under her. She was still smiling, but something in the usually confident teen made her hesitate, pausing while rubbing a soothing thumb across the small digits in her grasp.

The fledgling reached out first. She brought a timid hand to Yang's forehead to wipe a wet strand of gold back behind an ear before letting it come to rest against her dragon's cheek. "Yang…I love you." Her vision danced rapidly from one lilac to the other. Silently pleading.

The three words erased the apprehensive feeling in the blonde's stomach. Or at least it felt that way, as her heart hammered against her ribcage fast enough to take her mind off of it.

"I…Love you…Too…" Yang whispered as she began to lean in for a kiss. Each word vacating her lips as she got steadily closer to the person that made it all worthwhile, eventually humming in bliss as they connected.

The blonde could feel Ruby shifting under her, squirming in desire as the kiss got more heated. Before long, the two separated for breath, but stayed only inches apart as their orbs instantly locked again.

"How about I help you make up your mind this time~…?" Yang's voice was sweet but poisoned with a hint of longing, her eyes half lidded as the situation was starting to turn her on.

Ruby could see the lust swimming in her girlfriend's eyes as she held her cheek again. And she imagined hers were no different as she sent a desperate squeeze through their conjoined hands. Her legs shifted underneath Yang anxiously as the blonde got closer, but forgot her sister was still naked, meeting contact at the bridge of her long legs.

An uncharacteristic whimper left the older girl on top as she reared forward from the unexpected gentle graze. Yang stared down as her breath heated back up, a grin spreading across her face as she realized Ruby was just as surprised by what had taken place. "I'll take that as a yes~…"

* * *

 **~Lemon~**

* * *

"Yang?" Ruby called out as she looked beside her to see closed eyes and a gentle smile on her girlfriend's face. It appeared that what she tried had done the trick, and she had managed to calm the blonde down from her lustful episode. The younger girl flipped over onto her knees to peer down over Yang, taking in her now serene features with her arms tucked close to her chest and legs curled up comfortably. A smile overtook her as well, before she brushed a sweaty strand of hair behind her now lover's ear and kissed her cheek goodnight.

"I guess I'm not the only one that needs help with self-control now…" Ruby giggled out quietly next to Yang. "…But I wouldn't be much of a girlfriend if I didn't help you the way you've always helped me…" A wistful smile took over her face as she continued for just a little longer to watch her sister sleep peacefully before deciding to join her.

The fledgling laid down beside the blonde and as soon as she faced away to be the little spoon, her red cloak caught her eye in the pile of their clothes. Ruby reached over and pulled it close, twirling it around the pair to cover them as a blanket. But before she could close her eyes and sink into her dragon's side, a pair of warm arms wrapped around her mid-section in a loving hug. She felt Yang's gentle breath against her hair as the older girl had instinctually pulled her closer while still asleep. The motion brought the grin back to the red head's face as she snuggled closer as well, hands holding onto her lover's arms.

' _I haven't felt this warm in a long time…I love you, Yang…'_ Ruby thought contently, finding it almost hard to believe what had taken place only moments ago. They had went at it like animals from being so pent up. Most likely in no small thanks to that morning shower they had together. But she would never want to take it back. They had experienced parts of each other that no one else had. And she hoped this was just the first step with many more to come.

Her consciousness soon drifted off with this thought, a smile stuck to both of their lips as they slept under the stars, miles from home and civilization.

* * *

 **Aaaaaaand...They had sex! So if you haven't figured it out, "Still of the Night" is the name of a song played by Whitesnake. And if you say haven't heard them, you're lying. Who hasn't heard "Is This Love"? xD**

 **Regardless, I know this came out of nowhere, but I did promise a lemon for this story! And you can find it at AO3. The story has the same chapter title.**

 **So much happened! Again! You have Ruby and Yang losing their virginity's together, Qrow confessing about Summer, Scarlett having extreme nightmares, and Weiss and Blake not having any firewood! How are they going to cope?! XD**

 **I'm sure you guys have questions, so don't be afraid to ask! PM me or something! Peace!**


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